Music that Describes Bonnie
Bonnie Corder was nominated by her principal, Robert Yenrick.
"Changing lives is not just a yearly occurrence for Bonnie Corder," explains Yenrick. "She lives this mission every day. Bonnie is such a positive person in my building. However, her greatest strengths are her heart and high standards for everyone around her. She expects students, families, and staff to live up to a standard. If a person can not live up to that standard, she personally will work to get not only the students but their families as well."
Ms. Corder works with students that come to school with no language due to being deaf. Some students have various other issues associated with being deaf, as well. Almost every one of her kids demonstrates beyond a year's academic growth whenever they are with her. Usually, these students start to test at grade level by the third grade, which is astonishing.
Ms. Corder has been working with a child for the past two years who is deaf and has moderate autism. This child wanted nothing to do with anyone in the school building and could barely communicate. Now, he is so social and looks forward to coming to school every day.
"Seeing him each day brightens my day with how far he has come," said Yenrick.
Most teachers take the summers off or relax at night, but not Ms. Corder. After 40 years of teaching, she signs all of her students up for summer school, then signs up to teach them all summer long herself. At night, she goes to the families' houses to teach the parents how to sign with their own children. She is so loved. The 100th anniversary of Oakdale took place the day before Ms. Corder was nominated, and people came from all over the Midwest to see her and the other teachers.
"It was a blessing to have them in our building," said Yenrick. "I have worked in both urban and suburban settings as an administrator, and I can tell you that Bonnie Corder is the best special education teacher I have ever met. If you are looking for LifeChangers, I think she has helped change my life, and I am not even in her classroom."
I met Bonnie when my family started attending a new church. She made the services accessible for me and was the only church I could find that I liked and had accessibility. I started attending CC church when I was a sophomore and at that time I was an oral deaf person. When I learned ASL I slowly shifted to an easier way to life. I went to the state Deaf school for the last years of HS. When I graduated HS, I still went to the rural community school to graduate, but I wouldn't have an interpreter. I ask Bonnie and she said yes in a heartbeat. This school is over an hour for Bonnie to travel because we would travel an hour to CC church. She is one of the most kindest caring people I have met. I now teach at a state school for the Deaf and my students that were Bonnie's former students remember her dedication and her kindness.
Bonnie and I were coworkers at first but we quickly became friends. She is not only a friend but my mentor. When I started working with her in her classroom she saw potential in me that I didn’t even see in myself. With her support, guidance, and encouragement I am now finishing up my first year as a teacher. I wouldn’t have even thought about starting a new career but after seeing her impact on her students, I wanted to be like Bonnie. I feel honored that I had the opportunity to have Bonnie be my mentor and my friend. She is a wonderful person and outstanding educator.
Bonnie,
Makes me want to be a better principal. She is a very caring person who puts everyone else first in her life. Either way, her reward will be in heaven for all the lives that she has touched in a positive way each day of her life.
Thanks for making a difference in my life.
Bonnie is a kind soul. Even when she may be frustrated she shows grace and kindness. On top of all she does for her students and families she has severed on school committees. She makes the best homemade treats as well and brings them in to share. She lives her life in service of others putting others needs before her own.
Bonnie Corder is an amazing teacher and colleague. She will go out of her way to help anyone who needs it. I have gone to her to get questions answered or to ask for advice and she never fails to stop in her tracks to help.
Students seem to thrive in her classroom. She is always looking for ways to give them hands-on experiences and differentiates her teaching. She is passionate about advocating for her students and teaching them how to advocate for themselves.
She is one of a kind!
We love Bonnie!!! She makes our services accessible at CedarCreek!!
Congratulations Bonnie on your nomination, which is well deserved. You have committed your life to helping your students and their families. You have gone above and beyond, what is expected, to improve your students lives!!
She help my niece alot
Thanks for your continue work with need children it takes a special person to it
Miss. Bonnie, was the best teacher I ever had. She was so nice, friendly and cared for her students. As I grew older I still seen how caring she was to her students, she has a nurturing, humbling spirit.
Ms. Corder, there are many thanks that are owed! I met Ms. Corder approximately 4 years ago as my oldest was transitioning to kindergarten. A year later she got the fun part of having 2 of my daughters in her class. And watching these girls grow has been amazing. Savanna went from barely talking and not using sign to now her speech is pretty clear and she'll correct you if your asl is wrong. Joey went from no talking or sign to miss talksalot and a signing whiz. And I owe everything to Ms. Corder. She deserves the world and especially this award.
Ms. Corder, thank you for being a wonderful teacher for my granddaughters Savanna and Joey Sloan. They adapted so well to school thanks to your gentle nature and easing their fears in the "hearing" world. They've taught me a lot of sign language as well. You are a wonderful person and teacher!
Ms Corder always has a smile on her face! No matter what! She always signs while talking and it definitely helps us hearing people to learn sign language. Ms. Corder cares so much about her students, and is always ready and willing to give a hug! She deserves this award so much.
I am so proud that my daughter, Bonnie Corder, has been nominated for the Life Changer of the Year Award. She is, in my opinion and the opinion of her family, a very special person. Here is why -
Bonnie graduated from high school the top of her class. She then went on to received her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Denver where she enrolled in education classes and learned sign language. For some reason Bonnie always felt the need to work with deaf/hard-of-hearing children. She graduated Summa cum Laude from the University and then worked for two years as a long-term-sub for the Colorado School for the Deaf.
She knew she needed to get more education and training to excel in her desired profession. Bonnie was accepted at the University of Arizona in Tucson, (Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind) where she was also a Grad Research Assistant for two years. At the same time, Bonnie was the House Supervisor for a group of nine high school deaf girls. She thoroughly enjoyed the girls and learned a great deal from the girls about the deaf “culture”.
Bonnie has been teaching for 40+ years and for most of those years has been with Special Needs children. If one of her students has a difficult time, whether it is with school work or a personal problem, Bonnie will worry and think and worry some more to come to a right solution to the problem. That could be a personal problem at home or something the child does not understand about the school work, Bonnie will do her best to help the child – even to the point of going to the home to teach at least one member of the household how to use sign language so they can communicate with the child. (She even had a little girl that was partially deaf AND blind but thought of ways that she communicate and teach the little girl so she could continue to the next grade level.)
During the pandemic, when the children were being taught “virtually”, Bonnie knew it was very difficult for the young children (First/Second grade) to try to learn from the computer. Bonnie would contact the parents/guardians by phone and make sure the child had the right equipment to learn virtually and if they didn’t, she would try to find whatever they needed and deliver it to the home. After the pandemic was over, she took time to work individually with the students if they had fallen behind in learning.
Bonnie has her own physical problems, but she doesn’t take a day off, unless she has a problem that could be contagious. She was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis when she was a young adult and the arthritis affected her throat and she loses her voice for days at a time. Even before she was teaching the deaf, Bonnie would go to her classroom and speak as loudly as she could in order to teach the children. That was very painful but she very seldom takes a day off to rest her throat. Some days she can only whisper so teaching via sign language is a blessing.
She also has Migraine Headaches, but she suffers through them and I can count on my one hand how many times she stayed home from work with a headache. She doesn’t want the children to deal with a substitute teacher, especially children with special needs.
I feel my daughter is very special. Not only does she teach the children, but she has been a very important part in the lives of three of her great-nieces. Their mother died suddenly and left my grandson with three little girls, ages 3, 6 and 9. He had a very difficult time caring for them so Aunt Bonnie stepped in to help. She would make sure that the girls knew if they had a problem, she was there for them. As they got older, Bonnie’s involvement became even more important getting them through the difficult “teen” years. They are now adults and for the most part doing well.
Bonnie also interprets at her church every weekend. If there are special holidays, and there are several services, and she will interpret them all in the event there is someone in the congregation that is hard of hearing/deaf.
She will be retiring at the end of this school year. I am sure she will miss teaching, but I am also sure she will find some way to keep busy.
Very truly yours,
Donna Maurer