Here’s a clue that Erin Calhoun is a mile-a-minute bundle of energy: She’s a jogger, a former child gymnast, and current co-leader of Witter Ranch Elementary’s Jogging Club. All three serve her well in keeping up with her high-energy kindergarten class.
Calhoun, Witter Ranch’s current Teacher of the Year, said that one of her favorite things about teaching is the opportunity to inspire kids – like a government teacher named Mrs. McCutcheon once inspired her, years ago, while she was attending high school in Alaska.
“She was enthralling,” Calhoun said. “She made stuff that I would have thought was the most boring thing ever seem super exciting. You just wanted to be around her. She was a magnetic type of person.”
A key perk of teaching is when a parent or student approaches with two simple words, “thank you,” for impacting a child’s life or learning, Calhoun said.
“One of my favorite things is when kids come back and say, ‘I remember when we had Chant Jamboree and we sang about verbs,’ or whatever the weird thing it was that we decided to do that year. Or they’ll come back and say, “I have a picture of you when it was Wacky Wednesday.’ Just to have a place in somebody’s memory like that, it’s really honoring.”
Calhoun has taught for a dozen years at Witter – second grade until switching to kindergarten this year. She gets a special thrill out of inspiring kids to read, write and let their creativity go wild. It makes her sad when kids say they hate to read or write, she said, because nurturing those skills opens the door to endless knowledge.
Calhoun likes to give young children a blank piece of paper and urge them to fill it up with whatever words or image comes to mind. “That scares some kids: ‘What do I do with it?’ ‘What if I mess it up?’” she said. “There’s no right or wrong. I say, ‘This is yours. Take a chance. Let’s see what comes out of it. If you don’t like it, we’ll try again tomorrow.’”
A mother of two young children herself, Calhoun said it’s important for teachers to remember that each child is unique, with his or her own strengths, weaknesses and needs. “I really care about them,” she said of her students. “They’re part of my family for the year and it’s great to watch them grow up.”
In documents prepared last year for Witter Ranch Teacher of the Year honor, Calhoun’s second-grade students were asked what it was like to be in her class. Answers included:
“I think Mrs. Calhoun’s class is pleasant and I get a sweet feeling in my heart.”
“I think it’s fun to have two class pets — mealworms and tadpoles.”
“To be in Mrs. Calhoun’s class is awesome because she lets us do so many fun activities and makes our brains grow so much.”
