NEWS

Standout teachers on national stage

By ALEX MALM
Posted 3/3/22

Earlier this month Nikki Howell Greene, a teacher at Holliman Elementary School in Warwick opened up her email to learn she is one of 117 teachers across the county to be recognized with a …

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NEWS

Standout teachers on national stage

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Earlier this month Nikki Howell Greene, a teacher at Holliman Elementary School in Warwick opened up her email to learn she is one of 117 teachers across the county to be recognized with a Presidential Award from for excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching by the National Science Foundation.

It is the highest U.S. award for science and math teachers and mentors.

“It still feels a little surreal,” said Greene.

In addition to Greene’s recognition Susan Houle, a fifth grade teacher at Hoxsie Elementary School learned she is a nominee for the award. Both are Cranston residents.

“It was very much a surprise,” said Houle.

In the past Greene has been a state finalist for the recognition but never stepped on the national stage.

“These awards honor the dedication, hard work, and important role that America’s teachers and mentors play in supporting learners who will be future STEM professionals, including climate scientists, mathematicians, innovators, space explorers, and engineers,” a White House press release reads.

Greene has taught in Warwick throughout her 25-year teaching career. She started at Robertson teaching there for 19 years.

From 1997 to 2002 she was a special education teacher there and from 2002 to 2016 she was a classroom teacher.

In 2016 she worked as a math interventionist for Robertson and Hoxsie and then in 2018 she was a math interventionist for Holliman and Norwood. This year she is only at Holliman.

Superintendent Lynn Dambruch who worked with Greene for many years while she was principal at Robertson nominated her for the award writing in the nomination letter “as the former principal of E.G. Robertson School and as the current Assistant Superintendent, I have worked with Mrs. Greene for 24 years. Over the years I have watched her grow as a professional and have personally witnessed her commitment to inspire students to learn. She is a very reflective educator who is constantly evaluating and refining her practice.”

“Greene is an enthusiastic and exemplary educator who consistently incorporates best practice into her classroom. She designs rigorous instruction, which connects to prior learning and builds the foundation for future learning. A variety of effective resources and materials are utilized to facilitate student engagement,” Dambruch wrote. “One of Mrs. Greene’s biggest strengths as an educator is the way she engages students in a variety of explanations and multiple representations of concepts.

She uses data to make instructional decisions and consistently utilizes formative assessment to monitor student understanding.

To meet the diverse needs of her students she incorporates differentiated instruction.

When visiting her classroom you always see her working with students individually or in small groups. Mrs Greene’s classroom is an activity-based space where students are provided with opportunities to engage in critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and communication.”

Last week along with Greene’s family Dambruch was in attendance to see Greene honored virtually.

“We are extremely proud of her and are grateful for the positive impact she has had on students,” said Dambruch.

Greene has known for many years that she wanted to be a teacher.

Ironically Greene said that she struggled in math growing up. After looking at other careers in high school including in business she knew that teaching is what she wanted to do.

“It was just something I knew at a young age that this is something I wanted to do,” Greene said.

While she moved around a lot as a child due to her father being an airline pilot, thefamily eventually settled in Cranston when she was in seventh grade. Her mother still lives in the home she grew up in.

After graduating from LaSalle Academy, Greene attended Rhode Island College for teaching, then a few years later went to Providence College for her masters in reading.

She also went back to RIC to take advanced coursework in math.

“My whole high school and college career is in a two mile radius,” said Greene.

Her children, a daughter who is a senior at Bayview Academy and a son who is a sophomore at Bishop Hendricken both attended Cranston Public Schools up until they went to high school.

They both attended Oaklawn School and Hope Highlands Middle School.

During the last week of school last June Greene found out that she was being considered as a national winner, but nothing was made official.

“They give you the impression that you’re pretty much selected,” said Greene.

From there on out she and the other finalists had to wait to find out who the winners were. It was a secret still at that point.

On Feb. 8 she received another email, this time the email started with “congratulations.”

“You literally find out by email that it was officially announced,” said Greene.

Since she was a finalist in the past this wasn’t the first time she had to wait for an email. She said that those who aren’t chosen also find out through email.

This time the email left her with a much better feeling.

“It was exciting,” said Greene.

 

Susan Houle

Houle said that she received an email informing her that Hoxsie Principal Gary Mccombs

nominated her.

She wasn’t sure if it was real.

“I asked him if it was legit,” said Houle.

McCombs in his letter nominating Houle wrote “I have had the pleasure of knowing Susan Houle professionally for the past 11 years as the principal of Hoxsie Elementary School. Susan is a highly dedicated grade 5 teacher that truly loves teaching young children.”

McCombs said he is particularly impressed with Houle’s “teaching of mathematics to her 5th graders.”

“Her students grow so much during the year that that are with Mrs. Houle. Susan’s awesome math teaching comes from her ability to look at her students individually,” the letter read. “She really knows how each and every one of her students learn differently and she instructs they learn. This differentiated instruction comes with hours of looking at each child’s data with each math standard. She is always prepared and has her students prepared as she has data chats with them all so they can set goals.”

“I have visited her class often and her high-energy teaching is contagious for her students. Mrs. Houle’s students are truly having fun while they are learning,” McCombs added. “I cannot think of a teacher more deserving of this award and I am so proud that she is one of our teachers.”

Once Houle was nominated she began the process to see if she would be a finalist for the Rhode Island nominees. It included submitting an application, a resume, three letters of recommendation, creating a video of her teaching a lesson and writing essays about the lesson and her teaching philosophy.

She expects to find out if she is a state finalist in March.

“It’s been a long process,” said Houle.

Houle began her teaching career 22 years ago at Oakland Beach Elementary School before going to Hoxsie where she has worked for the last 14 years.

Before attending college at Mount Holyoke College in Hadley Massachusetts, Houle said that she didn’t know she wanted to be a teacher. She said it happened while she was in college.

“I don’t even think I went into school wanting to be a teacher,” said Houle.

This year Houle said that her teaching partner William Potter and herself decided to take a team teaching approach meaning that she teaches both of the fifth grade math classes while Potter teaches science and social studies.

Houle lives in Cranston with her family, which includes her two children, a daughter who is a student at Hope Highlands Middle School and a son who goes to Orchard Farm Elementary School.

Whether she becomes a finalist or not Houle said that she is humbled to be recognized.

“I feel incredibly honored that he chose me for this nomination,” said Houle. “We really have a school full of amazing teachers, so I feel very, very honored that he picked me because it really could’ve gone to any one of us.”

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