LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Kimberly Elliott was nominated anonymously.

Ms. Elliott's goal is to create a classroom climate where learning is both rigorous and joyful every single day. The foundation for this begins in the first few weeks of the school year. She focuses on warm welcomes by greeting students enthusiastically and showing them that she is genuinely excited to have them as part of her class.

She builds community and connections by using team-building activities and games to help students feel connected and valued. Ms. Elliott sets clear expectations by teaching, reteaching, and repeatedly practicing classroom routines and procedures for everything. She partners with families by reaching out early to establish positive, supportive relationships with parents and guardians and learn about students' lives outside of school.

Ms. Elliott focuses on conflict resolution skills by explicitly teaching students how to resolve disagreements in a safe and respectful manner. By investing in these steps early, Ms. Elliott and her students build a classroom culture where everyone feels safe, supported, and excited to learn.

Ms. Elliott has many career accomplishments, including:

• 2025 USM Teacher Mentor;
• 2023-24 Founding member of SPMS Building Leadership Team;
• 2022-24 SPMS Community School Advisory Board, and;
• 2018-20 MTSS Task Force.

Her students come from all over the world, and often have been out of school for several months—or even years. Because of this gap in access to education, many arrive preliterate and require explicit instruction in foundational literacy skills. Fortunately, they have a highly effective phonics program in place.

Her students also need to see their own experiences reflected in the mentor texts and read-alouds they use in class. She carefully selects high-quality books that honor their diverse backgrounds, helping them feel seen, valued, and supported. These texts foster a safe, inclusive classroom community while inviting students to share their own stories and perspectives.