Schools
Lindbergh Teacher Wins $1,500 to Bring Music to Classroom
Early Childhood Education teacher Lisa Janis was named a National Child Care Teacher of the Year by the Terri Lynne Lokoff Child Care Foundation.
Lindbergh Early Childhood Education teacher Lisa Janis recently was named National Child Care Teacher of the Year by the Terri Lynne Lokoff Child Care Foundation, according to a news release from the school district. She will receive The Helene Marks Award for exceptional child care.
Earlier this month, Janis was one of 52 teachers nationwide to receive a $500 Terri Lynne Lokoff/Children’s Tylenol National Child Care Teacher Award, for a grant proposal she wrote to fund a program that teaches children music, rhythm, coordination and social skills. As winner of the grand prize, Janis will receive an additional $1,000 to fund her project.
The funding will provide students in Janis’ pre-K class with instruments from around the world, to use individually, or in small or large groups. The goal of her proposal, “Using Music and Movement to Show Our ‘True Colors," is for children to develop an appreciation and basic understanding of both music and culture.
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“If children begin to feel comfortable and confident expressing themselves through music and movement, this may then lead into feeling comfortable and confident in other areas of their development,” Janis said. “I want the children to gain an appreciation for music and movements from other cultures, as well as finding similarities that link us all together.”
Janis will accept her award April 11 in Philadelphia. She has been teaching pre-K students at Lindbergh for 20 years.
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“We are very proud of Lisa, and all of our teachers at Lindbergh ECE,” said director Charlene Ziegler. “Their creative approaches to helping children grow socially and academically are what makes Lindbergh’s programs one of the best in the area.”
In a press release from the TLLCCF, director Alan Miller said: “Child care teachers are at the forefront of a child’s first learning experience. … They teach children how to read, write, explore and ask questions. Child care teachers, particularly those honored as our national award winners, are professionals. Their curriculum‐based lesson plans are designed to further children’s natural creativity and stimulate curiosity to explore. Child care teachers play a vital role in the development of children.”
Since its inception in 1994, the TLLCCF has presented 687 awards totaling more than $650,000 to early care and education providers.
