Kindergarten Teacher Named Alameda Teacher of the Year

ALAMEDA, CA - Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) has named Mandie Cline the 2015-2016 Teacher of the Year. Cline is a kindergarten teacher at Ruby Bridges Elementary School.

Cline has been teaching at Ruby Bridges since it opened in 2006. According to the district, she was chosen for her passion for arts education, her dedication to community building, and her deep support of her students as "whole children."

"It is an honor to be able to announce that Ms. Cline is our Teacher of the Year," said Superintendent Sean McPhetridge. "Her dedication, enthusiasm, and skill are an inspiration to us all."

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Cline has a bachelor's degree in Art & Education, as well as a master's degree in Fine Art Printmaking. She began her teaching career in Cleveland, but since 2005 she has been teaching in AUSD. In addition to her work as an educator, she has worked as an assistant at printmaking and booking studios. She won a full scholarship to be a studio assistant for a session on book arts at the Penland School of Crafts this summer.

"No Small Thing"

In her kindergarten classroom, Cline focuses not only on teaching her young students to master the standards for kindergarten as independent learners, but also on supporting her students' social and emotional well-being.

"Every moment of every day is geared toward encouraging student engagement, confidence, camaraderie, and peer accountability," she wrote in her application. "My students are empowered to think independently, critically, and to accept responsibility for individual actions as well as those of the community. I nurture the abilities and strengths of all students and give them tools to better themselves and each other."

Cline also volunteers to teach art to 1st to 5th graders at Ruby Bridges during her prep periods because, she wrote, "I know that visual arts is crucial to a child's academic and emotional success." Last year, she also spearheaded an Art Show/Silent Auction that included art from all of the classrooms and raised nearly $3000 for the school.

In a recommendation letter, Susan Jones-Szabo, the teacher librarian at Ruby Bridges, wrote: "It is no small thing that she has given so much of her time and expertise in order to bring the gift of art to our students, many of whom have suffered so much already in their young lives. Her students can then use art to find a way to express themselves, create a powerful emotional response, and learn to see the world with a deeper appreciation of the beauty around them."

"The Ultimate Team Player"

Cline is also dedicated to building a sense of community at her school site. In recent years, her projects have included a staff "shout-outs" board and a "kindness tree" on which students and staff can leave loving notes for others. She makes the time to show up at school events ranging from pumpkin sales to teacher talent shows.

In 2014, she launched an initiative to have all Ruby Bridges staff receive Mindfulness Training, All of the school's K-5 classes now practice mindfulness daily.

She is now collaborating with family and staff to use Measure A funds to develop an innovative program at the school focusing on student wellness, science, and art.

"My vision is to have students thrive in a school where the values and skills taught in kindergarten are values supported school-wide," she says.

Ruby Bridges Principal Cheryl Wilson reports, "She is the ultimate team-player who understands how important it is to collaborate and share information as a community of learners as opposed to teaching and working in isolation."

When asked what she loves about teaching kindergarteners, Cline responded "They are so full of love! Kindergarteners see the world in a simple, complete way, and they have so much joy, excitement, and eagerness to be seen and heard. I'm just here to facilitate, to help them find a way to become strong, happy, confident people in the world."

More Honors Possible

Nominees for AUSD Teacher of the Year come from parents, students, staff, and the community.

Next fall, Cline will compete to become Alameda County Teacher of the Year.

"Mandie is the ultimate example of an educator who strives to integrate the well being of the whole child into her instructional practice," says Audrey Hyman, president of the Alameda Education Association and also a former Ruby Bridges kindergarten teacher.

"She teaches from her heart, and her passion for her students and the Ruby Bridges community is obvious to all who work with her. I have seen her analyze data to work with her colleagues and come up with new approaches for age appropriate learning models. She is a key member of the school work group developing an innovative plan for the site. Mandie’s resolve to make things better for the children she works with shines through in all she does."

--Image by Shutterstock