Multilingual teacher sets example for young English language learners
Arroyo faculty member unexpectedly chosen winner in store contest
By Miguel Morales miguel@theacorn.com

JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers TOP VOTE GETTER- Wal-Mart Simi Valley "Teacher of the Year" Catherine Crowley reads "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane" by Kate DiCamillo to her third-grade glass on Thursday.

For Catherine Crowley, a third-grade teacher at Arroyo Elementary School, going to work each day is a labor of love, a fact that's greatly appreciated by those around her.

So much so, in fact, that Crowley's fans cast the most instore votes in the Wal-Mart Simi Valley 2007 Teacher of the Year contest, helping her bring home the honor together with a $1,000 educational grant to be spent on the students of Arroyo.

"This caught me completely by surprise," Crowley said. "I had no idea I was even nominated until I saw the check in my hand."

The Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year program is one of the largest teacher recognition programs in the country. Since it began in 1995, the program has honored more than 25,000 teachers in the U.S. and Puerto Rico and contributed more than $19 million to their schools, according to Francisco Navarro, assistant manager at Wal-Mart Simi Valley.

Arroyo Principal Denise Vale and a store representative presented the unsuspecting Crowley with the award and oversized check May 23 in front of her third-grade students, who'd been told about the surprise beforehand.

"The look on her face was priceless," Vale said. "Her students kept teasing her that she would use all the money to buy shoes."

When asked why she thought Crowley was chosen from among the 25 other nominees, Vale said she believes it has to do with the teacher's ability to reach all of her students, both those who excel and those who must work overtime to keep up, and especially those for whom English is not their native language.

"She can challenge the high achievers and she can help students who are struggling with academics to close the gap," Vale said. "And she's very creative about seeking remedies for students who are having behavior issues."

Crowley, who's been teaching since 1992, credits her upbringing for her success with English-language learners.

The Canadian-born teacher said she changed schools very often while growing up, an arrangement that forced her to learn several different languages just to pass. She's fluent in English, French, Greek and Italian.

"I can relate to a lot of the same problems some of my students deal with," Crowley said. "I work hard to make sure all my students are successful, not just in school but in life as well."

Crowley said her main goal as an educator is to get as many students as possible interested in the pursuit of knowledge.

"If you like being a teacher, it's not for the money," Crowley said. "I take it as a compliment to be challenged by a noisy group of kids. It's a reward in itself when I can start to interact with them and change their attitudes towards school."

The cash grant that Crowley won will probably pay for computer software that the thirdgrade classes will use in their daily lessons, Vale said. Children are growing up in a technologically advanced society, she said, so using the money to bring in some new applications will benefit them greatly.

"We are always glad to receive awards like these and proud of our teachers for their efforts," Vale said.

The Teacher of the Year award is one of Wal-Mart's many programs aimed at giving back to the community, Navarro said. Children or parents can nominate any teacher for the award, he said, and then customers can vote for the teacher at the store.

Crowley is now eligible to apply for Wal-Mart's state Teacher of the Year award. The winner of that contest receives an additional $10,000 educational grant for their school and will be entered into the national contest, where first prize is $25,000 for the winner's school.