I was so honored to have been awarded the 2017 Educators of America Educator of the Year. As a result of earning this title, my students will be receiving a portable Chromebook cart. The addition of this technology will greatly enhance the educational experience of my students, and I am truly grateful for this generous gift.
WNY Educator Wins Educator of the Year
National Educator of the Year in Alexander
Expanding horizons: Alexander Teacher Colleen McNamara in the Running for Prestigious Recognition
Clarence Grad Recognized as Educator of the Year
NYS Early Childhood Education (B-2)
NYS Childhood Education (1-6)
NYS Students With Disabilities (1-6)
NYS Literacy (B-6)
NYS Literacy (5-12)
I attended SUNY Geneseo for both my undergraduate and graduate career
earning certifications in childhood education (B-6), special education (1-6)
and literacy (B-12). At Geneseo, I was
heavily involved in extracurricular activities and was the class president for
four years. I was the president of my
resident hall and later became a resident assistant in the largest freshman
dorm on campus. I was a member of the Elementary
and Secondary Education Association and the president of the Council for
Exceptional Children. I was a leading
founder of Geneseo for Ghana, an organization that sought to celebrate African
culture and provide resources for children in need in the country. As the talent manager for entertainment
events on Activities Commission, I was responsible for organizing concerts and
shows throughout the year. Geneseo
provided me with an exceptional education and I am honored to go back
frequently to speak with prospective and current students.
I obtained a masters in Educational Administration (School Building
Leader and School District Leader) from Canisius College in Buffalo, NY. Through this experience, I completed two
administrative internships. During the
summer of 2012, I was the assistant principal for the Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda
Union Free School District Summer School.
I was responsible for supervising 367 students and approximately 35
staff members. I administered all
faculty meetings and completed evaluative observations for every staff
member. As the chief discipline administrator,
I mediated conflicts and worked closely with parents. Additionally, I organized the implementation
of 293 NYS Regents exams and assisted in creating a new district technology
plan. I also completed an internship at
Alexander Central School District and played a significant role in developing
the school budget, master schedule, and a restructuring of safety procedures.
One of the most life-changing experiences
that I have ever had was teaching in Ghana, West Africa. I lived at the Village of Hope orphanage and
taught at Hope Christian Academy which was the school on campus. I taught first grade mathematics and worked
as a special education pull-out/push-in teacher for students from grades 1, 5,
and 6. After school, I tutored in one of
the orphanage houses, providing differentiated instruction and homework help
with sixteen children ranging from ages 4-17.
I worked closely with the house parents to teach them skills that they
could use to help the children with their academics. As this was my second student teaching
experience, I knew that I wanted to connect my first group of students from
Pembroke Intermediate School to connect with these children. Before leaving Pembroke, I collaborated with
the district technology coordinator to install Skype and purchase a web cam for
the class to use. When I was in Africa, I
organized a Skype session between the 6th grade students from Hope
Christian and the 6th grade students from Pembroke
Intermediate. This was an extraordinarily
culturally-rich experience for all of the students involved as they taught
about their own customs and learned to celebrate differences amongst one
another.
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