Kentwood — Second-graders spread out on the floor in teacher Leah Hall’s classroom, practicing addition and subtraction in workbooks.
Abani Holt, while writing out math problems with a pencil, explained why it’s fun to do big equations like 13+5.
“It challenges our brain,” he said.
A few minutes later it was time to tidy up and go to art class. “Everybody make a bubble with your mouth,” said Hall, puffing up her cheeks as the students followed suit, looking like happy, quiet blowfish as they put away their materials and lined up at the door.
Hall, who is in her fourth year teaching at Endeavor Elementary School, is one of just three recipients to be awarded the TeachMichigan’s High-Impact Educator Award. She was formally recognized Sept. 22 at Teach for America Detroit’s Discovery & Impact Benefit Dinner at the Detroit Institute of Arts.
TeachMichigan is a statewide initiative designed to support and retain new teachers in under-resourced schools across Michigan, for teachers in the first through fifth years of teaching.
Originally from Ohio, Hall earned her bachelor’s in education and master’s in education leadership degrees from Grand Valley State University.
“Leah is truly a once-in-a-million educator,” said Endeavor Principal Mark Bea. “She has an extraordinary heart for kids and families, is constantly working to get better, and brings light, optimism, and energy to our entire school community. Most importantly, she turns that passion into real impact, including exceptional academic growth for her students.”
‘Teaching the kids how to meet each other’s needs and create that strong classroom community is something that has and will continue to shape our classroom as the year continues.’
— second-grade teacher Leah Hall
Hall spoke to SNN about what has motivated her to dig as deeply as possible into her craft of teaching and how she hopes to best impact the students in her classroom.
Why do you teach? “I teach because I believe that all children have so much potential to be whatever they want to be. It’s such an honor to be part of that journey and to help them discover that path and set them up with the right tools. I also want to help them learn how to become great members of society as well — to be kind to each other and to work together as a team.
(Also,) I love being able to see that lightbulb turn on when they don’t know something and then they finally get it and they take off with it. It’s a beautiful thing to watch.”
What is your biggest motivator that keeps you excited about teaching? “My biggest motivator is being someone the kids can depend on and being a trusted person for them so they feel safe to take risks and try new things that will help their brains grow.
“I also love where I work and I love the people who I work with, so it makes it all the more motivating to come to work because we have a lot of fun teaching together and going about our days.”
What’s the most interesting thing about second-graders? “The most interesting thing about second grade is that they are really on the verge of independence. They come in as first-graders and throughout the year you can see their independence start to blossom more and more and you see their personalities come through more and more. It clicks at some point in the year for each of them that they can do these things on their own, and they start seeing themselves as being capable of so much more.”
What are some of the biggest challenges in your role and how do you strive to meet them? “Being able to meet all of the kids’ needs where they are at simultaneously. It is so rewarding when I can meet different children’s needs, so it’s continuing to find more resources to be able to do that because they all have such different needs. Making sure the needs are met is what makes our classroom be successful.
“Teaching the kids how to meet each other’s needs and create that strong classroom community is something that has and will continue to shape our classroom as the year continues. That will help us have that classroom family that really looks out for each other.”
What do you find amazing about your students? “So many things. The most amazing part is the way they truly care about each other and how they truly care about learning, even when it’s hard. It’s how they see the world. They see everything with open eyes and everything excites them.”
What is something you’ve learned from your students? “What I have learned from them the most is the ability to get back up and try again and that each day is a new day. Even if they really had something they were working on the previous day that was frustrating, it’s like that day never happened and they are ready to learn again.
“They are very resilient too, and I am reminded to be resilient and to not think too deeply into things that may not matter.”
What would you say to someone considering teaching as a profession? “It is going to be one of the hardest but most rewarding jobs you could have. The needs are only going to get greater, but the joy and reward from it are so much greater than the hard parts.”
Why was TeachMichigan something you wanted to be a part of? “I was really drawn to TeachMichigan due to their excitement and enthusiasm to help teachers grow and to offer so many resources to collaborate with other educators across districts, across the state.”
What were some things you learned from TeachMichigan and how did you integrate them into the classroom? Hall recently attended the TeachMichigan conference, EmpowerEd Weekend and a focus was meeting the whole child’s needs.
“We talked a lot about how to get to know your students even more, especially in the districts in which we serve where the needs are buried. We talked about looking at the academic side, but how to dig even deeper.
“We looked at how to dig into the different motivators kids have and the extrinsic or external factors that are affecting them in the classroom and outside of the classroom. We talked about how we can even do home visits to increase connection with the family and strengthen that school to community bond.”
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