Amy Ludwig VanDerwater
By: Kevin Doran
Updated: April 26, 2011
We give a News 8 Golden Apple Award to a teacher of teachers. Amy VanDerwater does professional development in schools all over the area. Several teachers in East Irondequoit wanted us to say thank you.
Teachers come to Amy to become re-energized, renewed and refreshed. She's a professional development teacher with a specialty in writing.
Teachers like Mary Jo Daughton from Durand Eastman Intermediate School love her. "Have you ever met someone who validated you for who you are, inspired you to be something greater and made you believe you were worthy of teaching the students in front of you? We have and her name is Amy! Amy is a teacher of teachers."
Teachers call it an "Amy Day" when she visits. We visited to surprise her with a News 8 Golden Apple Award.
I asked Amy why professional development is so important for teachers? "Because Teachers work so hard and I think what professional development does is it gives teachers an opportunity to share and reflect on their practice and be together."
Durand Eastman Intermediate School Principal Lori Roe agrees. "I think it's essential because just as we want kids to learn and grow, we want teachers to learn and grow. And it's really imperative to find someone who can motivate and encourage and support that within our teaching staff and Amy certainly does that."
Amy says "I'm truly honored to get to do the work that I do. And to get to work with the children and to get to work with the teachers. I'm just very blessed."
Amy VanDerwater is a News 8 Golden Apple Award winner. You can read more of Mary Jo's letter nominating her below.
Dear Channel 8,
Have you ever met someone who validated you for who you are, inspired you to be something greater and made you believe you were worthy of teaching the students in front of you? We have and her name is Amy! Amy is a teacher of teachers.
She arrives for our sessions with a smile on her face, wisdom in her years and a suitcase filled with texts and treats to feed our hearts and minds. Amy has taught us the power of writing ...that the seed moments of each of our lives are worth sharing with the world... that our messages just might be what someone else needs to hear at any given moment. Her enthusiasm is infectious and the staff counts days between her visits. She is part of our Durand Eastman family and when we know it is an "AMY DAY" we all stand a bit taller, smile a bit brighter and arrive a bit earlier to savor her gifts.
Amy reminds us that the slices of our life make up our "Life Loaf"... Please let us share a slice of Amy with the Rochester community! Amy is the Golden Apple... the Golden Ticket... the Golden Gift!
Sincerely,
Mary Jo Daughton
Teacher. Durand Eastman 3-5th grade
