Our Star Teacher for Autumn 2024 is...... Alex Shelton-Knight!!!!We often say we have the #bestjobintheworld and the nominations that we received for our #StarTeacherAward are an absolute testament to that, thankyou!!
It made the job of choosing the final winner a much harder task for our independent judge, Laura, the owner of Lots for Tots Notts, a free magazine showcasing what’s on & what’s available for the under 5s across the county.
Laura said that it was a much harder job to choose a winner this time as there were so many incredible nominations to choose from. However, she selected the winner for the following reasons:
"My decision for this was based on all of the attributes displayed by this swim teacher. As parents we cannot down play the gift it is to find teachers who not only pour themselves into making sure lessons are accessible for every child no matter their fears or struggles, but also making our children feel valued, while maintaining the ability to push them to achieve and help them to grow (not only in the pool, but outside of it too).
That coupled with a warm and friendly personality towards us parents, week in and week out, can really leave lasting and lifelong impressions on both us and our children. This is the sort of teaching that is deeply woven throughout the Puddle Ducks community, which is why their teachers are all so valued! Well done Alex - you clearly deserve this award."
The winning nomination was from Hannah and Rosie, a Little Dipper at The Leicester Hilton:
"Rosie has been going to lessons with Alex for a year now and loves every minute of it. Alex is caring, calm and knows how to challenge each child at just the right level for them, making sure they’re progressing but never too far out of their comfort zone.
She’s a natural at engaging with children, remembering information about them and making sure they have fun at each lesson. Alex is also great at offering reassurance to me explaining what Rosie should be able to do for her age at each stage and is always, always child centred. Thank you for a great year, Alex!"
A huge congratulations to Alex with an absolutely fantastic nomination - She is now a contender for the national Puddle Ducks Star Teacher award – Good luck Alex!!