This month’s National Renaissance Staffulty of the Month is Angela Stutzman from Newberg High School in Newberg, OR. Nominator Mark Brown wrote:
Angela is the BEST Leadership teacher! Although she is still new to the position, she is doing an incredible job. She is ALL IN for students and works hard to equip and empower our student leaders to step up and be the leaders of our school. After attending her first JRGC this past summer, she is constantly working to make our school a better place. She is bringing in new ideas and is not afraid to try new things. It is so much fun to see the growth of our student leaders and the positive impact they are having on our school climate and culture. One of the things I appreciate and admire most about Angela is how she advocates for our students. She is not afraid to sit down and have honest conversation, both with students and also with administration when she sees things that need to be addressed or that we could maybe change. She always stays true to who she is as a leader, educator, and a person. Our students love her and it shows because of how hard they work and all that they are accomplishing together. I could not be more proud of having Angela as our Leadership teacher and am beyond thankful for all she does to make Newberg Nation a better place each and every day.
What do you teach? Are you involved with anything else at your school?
I teach Math (Algebra 1 and Pre Calculus) and Leadership, I am involved with Culture Planning Team and the Instructional Leaders Team.
What is something you appreciate about your school’s culture?
I appreciate that students and Staffulty care about one another. They want to do things that make others happy!
What’s a favorite Renaissance moment for you?
Our Leadership class was asked to go to the middle school and talk to the 8th graders about high school. They were so excited to be asked. They wanted to make sure the assembly was fun but educational. The students picked themes, brought props, curated music; all with the goal of making sure the 8th grades enjoyed the experience. They also sat in small groups to create a more intimate atmosphere so the 8th graders felt comfortable to ask questions about high school. It is my favorite memory because I watched my Leadership students flourish! They applied all the things we had talked about all year, and went out of their way to make sure the students had fun!
How has Renaissance affected you personally?
It has changed the way I approach my teaching and how I interreact with students on a day to day basis, really focusing on our culture. Making sure all students feel welcome and that they are apart of our school or our classrooms. I also feel a pull to really help other staff and make sure they are seen and heard.
What is something you are “All In” for inside or outside of school?
I am “All in” for making sure people feel supported inside and outside of school.
What advice would you give to someone who is working on becoming more self-aware?
To be more self-aware, my advice would be to stop and think. I often spend time at the end of the day thinking through my interactions or projects from the day. Did I handle the conversation correctly? Did I assume best intentions? Did I take time to reflect on my lesson/test or project so the next time it will be even better? You can always learn from your experiences if you take time to reflect on the things you did when there is no pressure to think through it quickly.
Angela will receive a coffee tumbler and a lapel pin in recognition of her achievement.