Farmington Names Teacher of the Year

Kathleen C. Greider, Superintendent of Schools, and the Farmington Board of Education are proud to announce the 2015 - 2016 Teacher of the Year for the Farmington Public Schools.

Mrs. Nancy Ladish, second grade teacher, has been selected as the 2015 - 2016 Farmington Teacher of the Year. Mrs. Ladish has served as a dedicated teacher in the Farmington Public Schools for 15 years where she has taught first and second grade at West District School.

During her time in Farmington, she has earned the respect and admiration of her students, her colleagues, school principals and the parents of her many students. Mrs. Ladish is committed to the success of every child. She works closely with her grade level colleagues to collaboratively review student data, share best practices, develop highly engaging lessons and support one another. Mrs. Ladish studies her student results and individualizes instruction to ensure she is meeting the academic, social and emotional needs of each one of her students.

Her humble spirit is a gift to her colleagues and students as they readily come to her for guidance, support or a listening ear. Her carefully planned lessons reflect personalization, choice, rigorous and authentic learning tasks, inquiry and students as leaders of their own learning. Students in Mrs. Ladish’s classroom lead their own learning through regular opportunities for goal setting, peer feedback and self-reflection. In turn, her students love learning and excel in all areas of the curriculum as well as the thinking and learning skills outlined in Farmington’s Vision of the Graduate.

Superintendent Greider states, “Nancy is a proud and accomplished classroom teacher who has dedicated her entire career to her students’ academic, social and emotional success. Teaching is a true calling for Nancy. Throughout her impressive teaching career, she has exemplified the generous heart and exemplary skill of the very best a Connecticut educator has to offer. Her kind approach creates an atmosphere of deep care for all students. When you enter her classroom, students are engaged, smiling and highly collaborative. They feel safe taking intellectual risks as self-directed and resourceful students. She represents the powerful and significant impact that one teacher can make in the life of a child, a classroom, a school and a school district.”

Board of Education chair Mary Grace Reed commented, “Nancy is a true Farmington educator. Her care for others, her skill as a master teacher and her love of the teaching profession shine through each day in her classroom. Nancy is an individual who is always learning and adjusting her practice to meet the needs of all students. The Farmington community has been the fortunate recipient of Nancy’s extraordinary gifts and care for our children. We thank Nancy for creating a place where students thrive academically, socially and emotionally.”

On being recognized as Farmington’s Teacher of the Year, Mrs. Ladish said, “I am honored and deeply grateful to be selected Farmington’s Teacher of the Year. When I think of excellence in education, I think of the many Farmington teachers and administrators with whom I have worked and from whom I have learned. I am grateful for the many supportive parents who entrust their children to my care each day. My students are my motivation to do my best always, and they make what I do so personally gratifying. It is my privilege to work in a community that is dedicated to helping children achieve academic and personal success and to providing the foundation for life-long learning.”

Peter Michelson, principal of the West District School, states, “Nancy Ladish has dedicated herself to being the best teacher that she can be every day. This is true when she is with her students, home planning for the next day or on vacation in July. She is masterful at creating an atmosphere in her classroom where students succeed because they want to do their best for her and for themselves. This leads students to reaching academic and personal goals that exceed expectations. She is a lifelong learner that is always looking for the next great book to read and she is always willing to share the knowledge that she with her colleagues. West District and Farmington Public Schools are lucky to have Nancy as a part of our team.”

Mrs. Ladish is a magna cum laude graduate of Salve Regina University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Elementary Education. She earned a Master of Science in Reading and Language Arts from Central Connecticut State University.

Nancy has worked in a variety of settings in primary education. She began her career in 1974 as a first grade teacher in the Suffield Public Schools and went on to serve as a Title 1 reading teacher with Cooperative Special Services in East Granby. She taught in the private-school sector as a second grade teacher at St. Thomas the Apostle School in West Hartford and then as a first grade teacher at St. Mary School in Simsbury from 1988-2000.

Since joining the Farmington Public Schools, Nancy has been a member of the West District School staff as a first grade teacher from 2000 until 2012 when she was began to teach second grade.

Nancy participates in social action projects through her church and is a long-time supporter of the American Cancer Society, Stand Up to Cancer, Saint Jude’s Hospital, and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. In her free time, Nancy enjoys reading and spending time with family and friends. Whenever possible, she visits her daughter, Gretchen, who lives in London. The mother/daughter team has traveled within the United Kingdom, France and Belgium.