Position: First Grade Paraprofessional
School: Caywood Elementary School
School District: Lexington City School System
City, State: Lexington, TN
Music that Describes Teresa
Teresa Gayer was nominated by her colleagues, Karissa Sherwood and Jill Zemer. The following profile contains text from both nominations.
Mrs. Gayer, also known as Mrs. Teresa, is the heart and soul of Caywood Elementary School. The school is a much better and positive place because she is there. She goes above and beyond for every student and teacher.
"I will never know how she does all that she does," said Zemer. "She is the first person at school every day and the very last to leave. She greets students in the morning as soon as they get to school. Students arrive at 6:45, and she is always there with a greeting. At snack time, she uses her own money to buy snacks for the students. She doesn't want any student to go without food. She always has the best snacks, too. The students beg to go to her room to get snacks everyday. She never turns a student down. If she runs out, she will track something down for that child to eat."
When it comes to reading, Mrs. Teresa is a key component to helping students grow. She works with all students to help them develop their reading skills. The students will read books with her and take tests on the books. She will pull a small group of students together who need extra assistance. She is always eager to help them better understand the material if they're unsure.
All students know they can go to her with anything. If a student has an accident, she'll find a change of clothes for them to wear. When it comes to rewards for the students, she is always baking cookies and cakes, dressing up, and participating in any crazy tasks she's asked to do. She stays and works after school to help students with their homework during the afterschool program. She'll stay until 5:30 PM helping the students with their reading, math, and spelling words. Her commitment to students extends to the weekends, when she spends time collecting items from yard sales for them.
Mrs. Teresa not only goes above and beyond for students, but she uses that same energy for her colleagues and administration. She gets to school early and stays late to make sure the teachers have their copies and lamination. She never lets her colleagues down and is always very dependable. Mrs. Teresa would fill any position in her school, without question. In 2018, she was honored by having one of the buddy benches on the playground with her name on it. She is truly a friend to all!