Farmington Community Star: Melissa Dale, Teacher

In this new series, Patch features outstanding members of the community that go above and beyond to give them the recognition they deserve.

Today we feature Melissa Dale, a local teacher who has made a difference, sent in by Lindsay Miller.

Who is your favorite teacher?

All of the teachers at Union School are spectacular but there is one special teacher that stands out to me. Melissa Dale has taught elementary school for over 25 years. I believe that she has been at Union School as a second grade teacher for most of her tenure. Mrs. Dale is special is so many incredible ways.

Where does she teach?

My name is Lindsay Miller and I have 2 children that attend Farmington Public Schools. Both of my boys had/have the amazing privilege of attending Union School.

Why is she your favorite?

I think that every year prior to getting our letters from the school announcing who our children have been assigned is nerve-wracking. It is for me. I’m a working mom and like many other parents, I pray that my child has been assigned a teacher that compliments them as an individual, helps them grow as a student and fosters the confidence needed to succeed in the challenging world of education. After all, they do spend most of the day for 180 days in school.
Mrs. Dale is the epitome of excellence.

Back is January 2010, I received the horrible news that my son Logan’s father had died unexpectedly. Logan was in Mrs. Dale’s second grade class that year, he was 7 yrs old. I was faced with having to tell my son this horrific news and it was Mrs. Dale (as well as the school principal and school social worker) that walked me through how I was going to tell Logan. Mrs. Dale was a leader. She knew exactly how I was going to handle this terrifying situation and she offered to be right by my side.

You see, Logan had only been a student of Mrs. Dale’s for approximately 5 months but she had built such a tremendous relationship with him. She knew him inside and out. She knew how to push Logan to get the absolute best out of him. She knew when to be his teacher and she knew when he needed a shoulder to cry on. She knew when he put the red card on his desk that he was overwhelmed and needed a break. She knew when Logan gave her “the look” that he just needed to step into the classroom next door and call me just for reassurance that I was okay.

I’d love to say that this was special treatment just for my son but, Mrs. Dale knows her students inside and out and has the ability to make every student feel good about themselves. She loves “her kids” and to this day Logan speaks of her as if she was his second mom. She creates an incredible learning environment for her students where they feel safe and respected. She individualizes these experiences and makes them personal for each and every student.
Mrs. Dale is a super star.

Would you like to see your favorite teacher, volunteer fire fighter or outstanding member of the community featured as a Community Star? Email wendy.mitchell@patch.com.