“She’s basically the best teacher ever!”
Those were the words one student used Monday morning as the Cottage Grove Area Chamber of Commerce presented the 2024 Educator of the Year Award to Pine Hill Elementary School first grade teacher Waverly Moline.
“Congratulations to Ms. Waverly Moline for being named the 2024 Educator of the Year by the Cottage Grove Chamber! Her innovative teaching methods and dedication to her students' well-being have made a lasting impact in her first-grade classroom. Ms. Moline's creative approaches and her attention to emotional support exemplify her commitment to both educational excellence and nurturing her students' growth. We are excited to honor you,” according to the chamber.
Moline was nominated for the honor by Tarah Beyer of Dapper Dog Marketing & Design, whose daughter, Kaia, is a student in the class.
The nomination reads:
“Ms. Moline exemplifies dedication to education through her innovative and engaging teaching methods in the first-grade classroom. Her ability to make learning both stimulating and informative captivates and motivates her students consistently. By incorporating structured activities and incentives, she not only enhances educational content but also ensures it is memorable.
This approach fosters a dynamic and interactive classroom environment that students eagerly anticipate. Beyond academic engagement, Ms. Moline's attentiveness to her students' emotional well-being sets her apart. Her compassionate care and communication with my daughter's anxiety over losing a tooth. The outreach was simple but showed her commitment to the well-being of her students, ensuring that a parent was informed and involved in their child's experiences during the school day.
Additionally, Ms. Moline's influence extends to the social aspects of her students' lives. The excitement I heard from my daughter when a 'classroom fairy' was causing mischief, and sometimes left trails of glitter, enhancing the classroom's sense of wonder and excitement. It is just the personal touches that she brings to the environment that make learning fun.
My daughter loves her teacher and because Ms. Moline wears black Converse, my daughter has to wear the same black Converse and refuses to wear any other shoes to school. Overall, Ms. Moline's dedication is evident in her comprehensive approach to education, where she nurtures not only academic skills but also emotional and social growth, which I can see has a large impact on her students' lives.”
