August 31, 2015
COE Alumna and Current MAEd Student Named Pactolus Teacher of the Year
Melissa Zurawski was named Teacher of the Year at Pactolus School in Pitt County where she teaches fifth grade English Language Arts. She is in her fourth year of teaching and uses the principle, “Effort rather than ability leads to success,” to guide her work with students. She explains, “I want my students to understand that they should forever put their all into everything they do and always be perseverant. My students understand that I believe in them and that regardless of their strengths and weaknesses, they will succeed if they put forth effort in all they do.”
Melissa earned her BS in Elementary Education in 2010 and is currently continuing her studies at East Carolina University in the Master of Arts in Education – Reading Education Program. She explained, “Throughout my experience in the READ Master’s program, I have gained knowledge of specific reading interventions to use with my students who are struggling in reading. I am learning new strategies that build a strong literacy foundation and target areas of needed instruction for my students. I am becoming a lifelong learner and I am always encouraging my students to do the same. There is no barrier in a child’s reading education that cannot be moved, no bridge that cannot be crossed and no gap that cannot be closed with the dedication of teachers that care.”