'She does a simply magnificent job in a very difficult field.' Educator of the Year named
HARTVILLE − The seventh grade class at Lake Middle School was ready to dive into a lesson about Fractured Fairytales, where they turn familiar fairy tales upside down and inside out while learning about story structure.
But first, intervention specialist Christine Fleming wanted to make sure the students were comfortable with what they had just read.
“Fist to five,” Fleming called out. “How are we feeling with plot right now? How are we feeling? Raise your hand and let’s see. Fist to five.”
Students began holding up the number of fingers that represented how confident they felt about the skill: Five fingers for the most confident and three or fewer fingers being the less confident.
Most students held up four or five fingers.
Fleming, who co-teaches the English Language Arts class with teacher Ramona Cochran, often uses the “fist to five” feedback strategy to determine which students might need more time reviewing a skill as part of a small group.
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Even though Fleming’s job description as an intervention specialist says that she works with students with disabilities, Fleming said she'll take any students who want additional help.
“I’m always come one, come all,” said Fleming, who started at Lake as a substitute teacher in 2012. “If I’m tutoring for one, what does it matter if I have five extra kids that need some help?”
That inclusive mindset is one of the reasons Fleming has been selected as the 2023 Stark County Educator of the Year.
Fleming, who has nearly 24 years in education, was chosen for the Educator of the Year award from among the 27 teachers nominated by the Stark County Educational Service Center, its 23 member school districts, the Stark County Board of Developmental Disabilities and parochial schools.
Superintendent: 'She does a simply magnificent job in a very difficult field.'
Lake Local Schools Superintendent Kevin Tobin said Fleming's impacts on her students and her fellow teachers can be seen in the rising student achievement scores. Fleming has been tapped for key roles to improve the climate of the school and to help train other teachers.
“She does a simply magnificent job in a very difficult field,” Tobin said. “One of the keys to her success is her firm belief in connecting with students and their families.”
Cochran, who has been Fleming’s co-teaching partner for roughly seven years, wasn’t surprised that Fleming received the award and is happy that a teacher who works with students with disabilities is being recognized.
“When you are dealing with students who have some learning difficulties, sometimes school is not easy for them. Sometimes school isn’t their favorite place,” said Cochran, who has been a teacher for 25 years. “… Teachers who work with students with special needs have big hearts and lots of patience.”
Here are five things to know about Stark County's Educator of the Year:
1. Fleming left education for five years.
The 1986 Cuyahoga Falls High School graduate began her career in education in 1990 as a tutor for a student with multiple disabilities in the Hudson Local School District. She spent six years at Hudson, six years at Akron Public Schools, two years at Bowling Green City Schools and two years teaching part time at Jackson Local Schools before she decided to take a career break to raise her children, Cailin and Nick, while her husband, Jim, traveled for his job as a tire distributor.
The Lake Township resident stayed connected to education during the break by volunteering for Lake Middle School, even receiving the Lions Club Volunteer of the Month.
She returned to teaching in 2012 as a substitute teacher at Lake, then became a part-time tutor and a full-time intervention specialist teaching students with mild and moderate disabilities. And she still loves it.
“Where else do we get to see that light-bulb moment where something clicks? That expression on their faces and the smiles, where else do we get to see that?" Fleming said. "To me, it’s just so rewarding to be able to be a part of that learning experience and watch them grow academically.”
2. She helped start Lake Middle School's inclusion program for students with disabilities.
Fleming and Cochran started Lake’s middle school inclusion program seven years ago by putting students with disabilities and their general education peers in the classroom together. Previously, the default was to separate students with disabilities into their own learning group.
She said test scores show that the integration has improved the overall academic performance of students with disabilities. She’s also noticed an improvement in many of their behaviors and social skills.
“I’m so glad I’m at the middle school,” Fleming said. “This building makes kids with disabilities feel they are able and capable.”
3. She went back to school at age 53.
After more than a year of online studies, Fleming earned her master’s degree in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis in technology from American College of Education in June 2022.
“I graduated (from Kent State University) in 1991,” she said. “Things have changed.”
She said she focused on technology because she wanted to learn new ways to keep her students motivated and engaged in learning through tools they already are comfortable with using.
4. Former students often come back to visit her.
Fleming said the former students often stop by during her tutoring period to touch base.
Fleming plans to attend Lake’s graduation next year to support a student she first met as a seventh grader and who still visits her every day.
When Fleming first met the student, the girl refused to complete assignments and often ran out of class when she experienced stress. After slowly gaining the girl’s trust, Fleming said she was able to help the girl and her family create a plan that boosted her confidence, helped her to communicate with others and improved her grades.
“I will be there (at graduation) cheering her on,” Fleming said.
5. Her advice to new teachers is to create a connection with students.
Fleming believes that building positive relationships with students helps create a more stable learning environment where students will want to find success.
“Make sure you develop that connection and everything else seems to fall into place then,” Fleming said. “They don’t want to disappoint you.”
Reach Repository education writer Kelli Weir at 330-580-8339 or kelli.weir@cantonrep.com.
On Twitter: @kweirREP
2023 Educator of The Year Nominees
Alliance: Bianca Burwell
Brown: Shannon Schmidt
Canton City: Beth Vassalotti
Canton Local: Michelle Rosette
Carrollton: Lisa Knotts
Dalton: Paul Jackson
Fairless: Jennifer Best
Green: Sean Mostov
Jackson: Stella Muñoz
Lake: Christine Fleming (named Stark County Educator of the Year)
Louisville: Sarah Faiello
Marlington: Heather Craig
Massillon: Jacy Andrews
Minerva: Michelle Deem
North Canton: Greg Hobe
Northwest: Dan Staats
Osnaburg: Kim Hennessy
Parochial East: Maureen Merrill
Parochial West: Mary Ann Morrison
Perry: Sharon Ford
Plain: Darla Ferguson
R.G. Drage Career Technical Center: Kyle Batdorff
Sandy Valley: Suzanne Kail
Stark County Board of Developmental Disabilities: Jill Mehl
Stark County Educational Service Center: Keely Maurer
Strasburg-Frankin: Tonya Ronald
Tuslaw: Justin Shackle
Lifetime Educator Award
Longtime educator and current school board member Elayne Dunlap has received the Lifetime Educator Award for her influence on generators of educators and students.
Dunlap worked as an educator at Alliance City Schools for 30 years, starting as a teacher and then serving as an administrator. She served as the special education assessment manager and then the district intervention coordinator.
After her retirement, Dunlap joined the Alliance school board and is currently serving her second term. She also has served on multiple foundations, committees and nonprofit organizations over the years at the local, county and state levels.
“Elayne has been a steadfast role model for me and numerous other educators in Alliance and throughout Stark County,” Alliance Superintendent Rob Gress said. “Throughout her career, she has proven that leadership is about influence, not about titles. In her role as a teacher, she has influenced countless students and adults in a very positive way.”
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Lake Local's Christine Fleming is Stark County's Educator of the Year
