Teachers earn LEEA honors

Posted on: Dec 17, 2018

A quartet of Delano teachers recently received honors as Leaders in Educational Excellence.

The four included second-grade teacher Nate Uselding, DIS speech clinician Mary Somers, DHS School Within A School instructor Shallyn Tordeur, and DHS social worker Marie Techam, who attended as Delano’s 2017-18 Teacher of the Year.

Their Leadership in Educational Excellence Awards were distributed at the 27th annual Award and Recognition Ceremony hosted by Resource Training & Solutions on Wednesday, Oct. 24.

Nate Uselding
Whether helping to create innovative learning spaces like the Imaginarium at Delano Elementary, goading students and staff members with his Wisconsin sports preferences, or bringing an infectious enthusiasm to the classroom, second-grade teacher Nate Uselding has made his mark in Delano.

This year co-workers have rewarded him by nominating him for a Leadership in Educational Excellence Award.

“I was blown away when I learned that my peers nominated me for this award and I want to thank them for helping me be successful in teaching,” Uselding said. “Receiving the LEEA Award is a great honor, and I’ll continue to represent leadership to our school community in the future.”

A nomination statement submitted to the district’s Staff Development Committee cited Uselding’s work on behalf of both his students and his peers.

“Nate is a strong advocate for all of his students. He enjoys implementing the latest strategies in the classroom and is often a (resource) to others in his building,” said the nomination. “He has created technology opportunities in a variety of ways and has been an integral player as the elementary moves forward to add a maker space to the building.”

Uselding is in his fifth year at Delano.

“This is a second career for me, as my first degree was soil science and I worked in the turf industry as a superintendent,” said Uselding. “After having kids, I stopped working to stay home with them. This turned out to be the best decision of my life because I realized that I needed to do this for a living.”
Uselding prides himself on making strong connections with students and fellow teachers. 

“You’ll always catch me with a smile on my face, and my goal is to make learning fun,” he said. “I believe in developing young citizens by building their confidence, improving self-esteem, and allowing time for self-reflection. Ultimately, I want students to love learning as much as I embrace teaching.”

Mary Somers
A nomination submitted to the district’s Staff Development Committee said in part that Somers is a key member of the special education team. 

“She is always prepared, organized, professional, kind, and supportive,” said the nomination. “I think her work with our students is often overlooked, or not always understood, but incredibly important.”

Somers marks her 30th year with Delano Public Schools in January, and said her work has been fulfilling from the beginning.

“I became a speech-language pathologist because I wanted to help others and make a difference in their lives,” she said. “I really enjoy getting to know my students and watching them develop new skills that help them to express themselves. Because I often teach students for more than one year, I have the unique opportunity to see them grow and change in a way that general education teachers don’t have the chance to experience.”

The nomination noted that Somers’ input is particularly valued in evaluation meetings or individual education plan conferences.

“Being nominated for the LEEA was such a surprise,” said Somers. “This is an honor that all of my colleagues deserve for their hard work and dedication. I deeply appreciated the opportunity and privilege to represent Delano at the awards ceremony.”

Shallyn Tordeur
As the School Within A School instructor and COMPASS program leader at Delano High School, Tordeur has an opportunity to make a big difference in the lives of those she teaches.

It is a challenge she embraces.

“Shallyn works tirelessly to help students within our school who need it the most. She is an amazing advocate for all students and has made a difference in the lives of so many,” said an anonymous nomination from a fellow staff member that led to Tordeur’s Leadership in Educational Excellence Award this fall.

“I truly feel that without the wonderful colleagues that I have I would not be able to do my job, so this honor is truly the work of many people who help me be the best each day,” said Tordeur.

Tordeur has worked in education for 15 years, including 12 in Delano.

“I went into education because I found myself consistently pursuing jobs that were helping kids,” she said.

The nominating document said Tordeur is a reliable mentor and colleague.

“Her students always know they can count on her to give a helping hand or a listening ear. She is a wonderful person to work with, always willing to go the extra mile to help her coworkers,” it said. “Her commitment to meeting the needs of all students and teaching with the whole child in mind is outstanding. She is passionate about her job as an educator and respected by students and staff.”

Tordeur said the variety of duties inherent in her work is what she enjoys most.

“I have the privilege of working each day with some of the most unique and creative kids,” she said. “My job is never dull and I couldn’t see myself doing anything different.”

Marie Techam
Techam has been a school social worker for 19 years, including 12 in Delano.

“Receiving the LEEA Award is a big honor,” she said. “Since moving to Delano, working here and having my kids go to school here, I have been truly amazed by the excellent teaching staff and support personnel we have. 

“Our district employees overall are so dedicated to helping students and go above and beyond to give students a quality education. To be a school social worker getting this honor, it truly is a testament to the teachers and how much they value all areas of helping students.”

Techam said she pursued her career as a way to help children, to give them a listening ear for issues they might be facing. 

“Every student should feel a sense of belonging when they walk into school each day. Our students are faced with so many challenges, many that we aren’t even aware of, and it is our job to help them come to a place in which they feel they are supported and are able to work through anything that may be getting in the way of their learning,” she said. “Each student has something unique and valuable to offer and as educators we can find that quality within each of them.”

Techam said the most gratifying aspect of her job is seeing change within students as they learn strategies to work through challenging situations, adding that her passion is mental health awareness and suicide prevention. 

Because she works with high schoolers, Techam said the process often involves helping them take control of important areas of their lives and gaining the confidence they need to act with their own best interests in mind.

“I have witnessed firsthand the weight that is lifted off of a student’s shoulders when they simply are able to talk about some of the problems they are experiencing with a trusted adult,” said Techam. “Simply by listening to students I am able to give them a voice to start to process through difficult issues.”

Post Categories: Elementary School, High School, Intermediate School