Kindergarten teacher and Copper Basin High School alumna Amy Allen is Copper Basin Elementary School’s Teacher of the Year.
“She has earned the respect of students and peers with her energy, attitude and eagerness to help everyone succeed,” Principal Janessa Nipper said of Allen. “She goes above and beyond the regular duties of a teacher to truly make an impact on our school and community.
“She also inspires all students to learn. She finds creative ways to make material accessible to students and stays up to date with current, best teaching practices. Most importantly, she loves her students and they know it!”
Allen has taught for eight years and has taught at Copper Basin for that entire time.
At Copper Basin, Allen teaches the after school program and tutors; she is also one of the school’s Parent Engagement Personnel, which means she helps maintain the Title I notebook and updates the community about school events.
She said her favorite part of teaching is building a relationship with children.
“When kids know they are loved and safe, they are ready to learn,” Allen said.
A graduate of Tennessee Wesleyan College, now university, she completed magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies.
As a kindergarten teacher, Allen teaches each subject: reading, math, social studies and science.
A highlight of her career was when she and colleague Tina Murphy ran the Read to Be Ready program a few summers ago.
“Having the funds and time to provide opportunities that we normally wouldn’t be able to was incredible,” Allen said. “We took the kids fishing, read in tents in the dark with flashlights, went on hikes, read in the park. We all made so many great memories. The kid’s had the best time. That was the most fun I’ve had in my career.”
As for the award, it is based on colleague recommendations. Each teacher votes unanimously.
One recommendation from another teacher said,“I KNEW Mrs. Allen was an amazing teacher when fourth, fifth and sixth grade students were still talking about her lessons from years ago and things she did to make school fun!”
Of the recognition, Allen said, “When Mrs. Nipper said my name, my heart smiled. I truly expected someone else’s name to be called because there are so many amazing teachers at our school. They go above and beyond for our kids, and to be recognized as Teacher of the Year by my peers is an honor.”
In her free time, what little she gets as a teacher and mother, Allen enjoys listening to church sermons while going down the road to her son’s soccer activities or listening to audiobooks or crime podcasts.