LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Alisha Boeve was nominated by her principal, Dan Scoville. 

While still early in her career, Mrs. Boeve embodies every characteristic a successful teacher has.  She is passionate about the children she works with and her profession. Mrs. Boeve is a leader and a problem solver.  She is also a learner.  Most importantly, Mrs. Boeve is the type of person others could emulate.

Mrs. Boeve has taught at Bentheim Elementary for five years.  She also student taught in the building.  It did not take long for Principal Scoville to recognize all her positive attributes.  She gets to know her students, and she often uses their interest areas in her lessons.  She develops authentic lessons on a daily basis rather than relying on a text. She has an accomplished skill set in connecting with children.  There have been several instances when she has been able to connect with students who were having behavioral difficulties that others were struggling to figure out.

"Even our toughest students quickly grow fond of her, and they want to do their best for her." Scoville said. "Other staff members consult with her often, as well."

Mrs. Boeve has participated in three professional development opportunities that have or will produce great benefits, not only for her, but for her school. START training was the first. It was a series of trainings which focused on working with children on the ASD spectrum.  Mrs. Boeve has applied much of what she has learned through START training to benefit students on the spectrum at Bentheim.

The second training was EBLI (Evidence Based Literacy Instruction).  EBLI is an explicit means of teaching students to read. The entire elementary staff throughout the district has been trained, but Mrs. Boeve was one of the first to go through the training.  Again, she applied what she had learned and revamped her school's Tier II and Tier III Multi-Tiered Systems of Support to include EBLI.  Her school has seen some great improvements in its struggling readers as a result.  

MIBLSI (Michigan's Integrated Behavior Learning and Support Initiative) is the third training she has attended, as she is part of the building team.  This is still relatively new to the building and district, but MIBLSI involves PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Support) and teaching students expected behaviors in all areas of the building.  MIBLSI also establishes a common language for all staff members and students. Mrs. Boeve has developed the lesson plans for teaching those behaviors.

Mrs. Boeve has received high marks in her evaluations.  However, she does so much more. For example, she has implemented a leveled behavior system for two emotionally impaired students that she learned about through a behavior consultant.  That system has been very successful with both students when the school had seen little success previously. She also tailors behavior plans to student interests for use at school and has done that for parents to use at home as well.

Mrs. Boeve's classroom atmosphere is nurturing, as well. The students on the leveled behavior system and others on behaivor plans take breaks in her room from their respective classrooms. Mrs. Boeve provides visuals for students to make choices from upon entering. She has multiple fidgets and sensory devices, comfortable seating, and warm, welcoming decor. Her greatest asset to her classroom atmosphere is her personality.

Mrs. Boeve has already hosted multiple teacher assistants and a student teacher from Hope College.  Her student teacher described Alisha as the most organized person on the planet. Mrs. Boeve's organization and attention to detail enable her to do all the things she's done.

In addition to being a phenomenal teacher, Mrs. Boeve is a wife, mother, tutor, and overall wonderful human being.  She and her husband, Nick, are youth group leaders at a local church.  Mrs. Boeve lives into her faith, and she exhibits the highest moral and ethical character.