National Teacher Appreciation Week: Audrey Day

Starting a new classroom in a new school is hard work. Doing so with mixed ages is even harder. But if you walk into the Lee Montessori PCS classroom of Ms. Audrey Day, you would not be able to guess that it's a first-year classroom. With her dedication to teaching, Ms. Day has become a classroom Zen Master.

Ms. Day is a remarkable blend of patience, consistency, love, and skillful teaching. You see that passion and skill from the moment you meet her. First, there is the subtle smell of the homemade (well, class-made) citrus vinegar that the children have made from the leftover orange rinds from snack. Then you notice the overwhelming sense of peace, tranquility, and joy in her children.

Lee Montessori PCS looks for classrooms to have a gentle hum: not too loud, but definitely not silent. Ms. Day’s class epitomizes this balance. Her children are either engaged in their individual work or she is teaching them one-on-one. When a child gets off-task, they receive a “gentle reminder” – a firm yet peaceful redirection to re-engage in their work.

Ms. Day never raises her voice and yet her classroom management ability is outstanding. The impact has been remarkable; children that started the year swinging from the chandeliers are now quietly and peacefully engaged in the developmentally appropriate activities that are the hallmark of quality Montessori.

Lee Montessori’s philosophy is that the way you treat children should reflect how you want them to act when they are adults. We appreciate Ms. Day as a teacher because we know that the world will be a far more peaceful place in 17 years, when her 5-year olds graduate from college! 

Thank you for your hard work, Ms. Day!

This week PCSB is highlighting public charter school teachers that work hard every day to prepare DC’s public charter school students for college and the workforce. From PK to adult education programs, public charter school teachers strive to increase the academic performance and school culture for their students.

Thank you, Audrey Day for being a great teacher!