School: Fairwood Elementary School
Department, Grade: First grade
Hometown: Fairfield, Ohio
Favorite book: The Nightingale, and favorite children’s book is Do Not Open This Book
Favorite season: Fall
Favorite hobby(ies): Spending time with family and friends, watching sports.
Favorite emoji: 😍
“We have three expectations at Fairwood: Be Respectful, Be Responsible and Be Kind.”
Shelley Stamp truly embodies the values of a Fierce Falcon. Shelley is a 2021 Harry T. Wilks Educator of Excellence who has been teaching in the Hamilton City Schools district for 20 years.
“I spent the first year after graduation as a substitute teacher. My first sub job was in 6th grade at Madison Elementary. I ended up doing a long term there and was later hired on as a Title I teacher. I just knew Hamilton was where I should be. I was at Madison Elementary for five years, Buchanan for two years, and have been at Fairwood since it opened in 2009.”
Before teaching, Shelley worked several kinds of jobs during high school and college, mostly in restaurants, but she never lost focus of her ultimate goal.
“I knew that I wanted to work with children, in one way or another. I wanted to be able to provide kids with a safe and caring environment that they would feel comfortable coming to everyday. “
Working with six-year-olds can be challenging at times, but Shelley and her co-teacher manage the classroom by spending a good part of the day working with small groups.
“This is the first year I am implementing PBL (Project-Based Learning) in the classroom. I’m learning this method from my co-teacher. It’s so great to get to watch another teacher teach. It’s an instructional approach that allows students to show what they learn as they go through the project while collaborating with others. The class has worked hard on their projects and have really seemed to enjoy what they’re doing.”
Although Shelley enjoys seeing the positive results from the small group work, it’s not her favorite part of the day.
“I want students to know that I truly love seeing them every day. One of my favorite parts of the day is getting to greet them each morning, which makes me smile.”
The most rewarding aspect about teaching for Shelley is seeing the social, emotional, and academic growth in her students.
“I love getting to see my kids grow and change each year. I show them examples of all these changes when we wrap up each school year. I love to see the looks on their faces when they see how much they’ve grown.”
Shelley was formally recognized for her achievements in education when she was named one of the 2021 Harry T. Wilks Educators of Excellence in the Hamilton Celebrates Education program sponsored by the Hamilton Community Foundation. In the award nomination, Shelley’s colleagues at Fairwood Elementary noted how she always looks for ways to give her students what they need in order to grow.
“Shelley is willing to take risks and reflect on her own practices as they relate to her students. She is willing to give her students the resources they need to be successful and intentionally makes learning accessible for all. For example, she worked with tech support to create individualized resources for some of our ELL [English language learners] students to support them in the acquisition of English. “
Shelley, along with 18 other Educators of Excellence award recipients, will be honored by the Hamilton Community Foundation in a recognition ceremony tentatively scheduled for spring 2022.