LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile
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Madison Christiansen
Position: Second Grade Teacher
School: East Dover Elementary School
School District: Capital School District
City, State: Magnolia , DE
Music that Describes Madison
Madison Christiansen was nominated by a family member, Alexis Huttie.
Ms. Christiansen's teaching journey has taken her from second grade at Holy Cross Elementary, to kindergarten at Mcllvaine Elementary, to a new role as a second-grade teacher at East Dover Elementary School. Through her early adventures in education, she has been able to touch a variety of students from all walks of life. No matter what age or the challenges the students have faced, Ms. Christiansen has left a lasting impression on her students through engaging lessons that mesh technology and traditional teaching strategies.
"Madison is the third teacher in our family," said Huttie. "Our mother is retiring this year after 43 years of teaching, and I am in my 16th year. We all taught second grade at one point, and it was an amazing opportunity to collaborate across the generations to make our instruction memorable and meaningful for our students. Madison overcame many obstacles during her first year of teaching during the COVID pandemic. The pandemic did not stop Madison and her students from having a successful year."
Ms. Christiansen's creativity has brought her family into the classroom, including her two German Shepards, Mr. Arthur and Sam. The students love seeing pictures of their dogs and work hard to earn virtual adventures with them. This is just an example of how Ms. Christiansen reinforces her student's positive behavior and efforts by allowing her students to be a part of her life and working hard to be a part of their lives in and out of the classroom.
As she hangs up her kindergarten hat to return to second grade, Ms. Christiansen has learned the importance of the foundation of learning and building relationships with students and their families, which starts in kindergarten and moves through the elementary grade levels. She is just at the beginning of her journey. Her energy and passion are the future of our profession. To recognize her for her efforts would be a nice jolt for an already driven teacher.