|
Broward County Teacher of the Year 2006
Jasmin Deboo
|
Watch the Video
|
Since she began her career 11 years ago,
Jasmin Deboo has been teaching at
Deerfield Beach Elementary School. And for those 11 years, Ms. Deboo has been working to help her students, her colleagues and herself. It is this dedication to her profession that helped her become the Broward County Public Schools
Teacher of the Year 2006.
“I believe as an educator, it is my responsibility to continually develop my craft in order to improve myself as a teacher,” Ms. Deboo said. “I consider a
great teacher to be a ‘life-long learner’ whose classroom extends outside the four walls where they work and long after the 2 o’clock bell.”
One place Ms. Deboo has looked to over the years has been her fellow teachers. She saw that there was little collaboration with her peers when she started, but she knew they could offer a “world of resources” to her growth in the profession. So she made it a point to get involved.
|
Broward County Teacher of the Year 2006
Jasmin Deboo reacts to the announcement.
|
“I participate in, and sometimes facilitate, in-service trainings to help us grow in the profession,” said Ms. Deboo. “I’ve also served as a mentor to new educators because I know they can provide me with knowledge and enthusiasm that veteran teachers may not.”
She believes every teacher should strive tirelessly to address each child as an individual and lead him/her forward in the educational process. Ms. Deboo continually works to make sure she’s the “best she can be,” which includes not only grading and correcting her students’ work, but also really looking at how her students are progressing to grade herself.
“That’s a great way for me to determine the areas of strength and weakness I have, and it helps me modify my teaching method,” she said.
Talk with her for a few minutes, and you’ll quickly see that Ms. Deboo approaches all her students in different ways.
“After all, children learn in different ways and at different rates,” she said. “I help them to understand and accept who they are while encouraging them to experience all the wonder of who they are
yet to become.”
|
Jane Koszoru, Broward County Teacher of the Year 2004, Broward County Teacher of the Year 2006 Jasmin Deboo, Frederick Williams, Broward County Teacher of the Year 2005 with Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Frank Till.
|
In the more than a decade she’s been teaching, Ms. Deboo has found that making a strong connection to her students’ families and the community are key in providing the best education possible. This effort has led to numerous visitors to her classroom, including parents, former students and the media, all observing and participating in unique lessons.
“My deep commitment to the needs of each child, an effective classroom management style and a strong community connection helps our classroom be a fun, safe and energized learning environment,” Ms. Deboo said.
And her goal is simple: in a school year, she wants her children to achieve one year’s growth. While that doesn’t sound too dramatic, you have to consider where her students come from academically when they arrive in her classroom. Not all her students are at grade level, but she doesn’t make any excuses, she just works harder.
And the proof can be found in the results.
“Despite the fact that my class is usually comprised of at least one quarter of students reading more than one year below grade level, for several years my students have attained the highest scores of our school on the FCAT writing test, with 95 percent scoring 3 or higher,” she said with a smile.
She knows that no matter where a child has come from, no matter their family history or their socio-economic situation, they all have the ability to shine if given the chance. And she understands the power that she, as a teacher, has in her hands.
“Children are miraculous beings with limitless potential,” she said. “[Teachers] have the power to reveal dreams and, sometimes, be the only positive example in our student’s lives.
This year’s finalists are:
TEACHER OF THE YEAR HISTORY
- 4 mb 
