Sherman ISD's monthly staff awards went to people working with some of the district's youngest children and its oldest special education students when trustees met Monday, Oct. 19, according to a district announcement posted that evening.
The honorees came from Perrin Early Childhood Center, Jefferson Learning Center and Crutchfield Elementary School.
Teachers of the month
Jessica Connot, an early childhood special education teacher at Perrin, was named Elementary Teacher of the Month. The district said she helps young students communicate using signs, motions and assistive devices such as picture boards and iPads, and that many of her former students began in her room speaking 10 or fewer words before moving on to elementary school. She was part of the planning for Sherman's new early childhood campus and offered to run staff training on the "Maslow before Bloom" idea that children's basic needs must be met before they can learn, the district said.
Dr. Kat Bode, who teaches in the 18-plus ACES transition program at Jefferson Learning Center, was named Secondary Teacher of the Month. Her students, the district said, practice skills for jobs and living on their own: writing resumes, filling out job applications, budgeting, paying bills and communicating professionally.
