Amanda Stump named 2019 Teacher of the Year by Sonoma Masons

Students were asked, ‘who is your favorite teacher and why?’|

Flowery Elementary School kindergarten teacher Amanda Stump has been named the 2019 Teacher of the Year by the Masons of Sonoma’s Temple Lodge #14. The award is based on responses to a district-wide email that surveyed students and their parents at the local public schools, asking: Who is your favorite teacher and why?

According to committee chairman Stanley Ball, “The best thing is the students’ answers. They are the ones that can really tell the best teacher, because they’re the ones being taught.” In the spirit of supporting local public education, Masons of Temple Lodge #14 has recognized one outstanding teacher each year for the past 18 years based on their dedication to teaching, their ability to inspire students, the respect they receive in the community and their active, constructive roles both inside and outside of the classroom.

By all accounts, Amanda Stump has exhibited all of these qualities to an exceptional degree.

After receiving a B.A. from St. Mary’s College and her teaching credentials and M.A. from University of Redlands, Stump taught at an International Baccalaureate school in Southern California and later at the dual-immersion Pueblo Vista Elementary School in Napa. In 2016 she began her tenure at Flowery Elementary, first teaching two years of third grade and then shifting to kindergarten last year.

Growing up in Southern California, Stump had a strong educational role model in her mother - a special education instructor for over 20 years. She became more seriously engaged with the idea of going into the field of education during her studies at St. Mary’s, where she participated in numerous community service opportunities, often tutoring students in Oakland.

When asked what draws her to teaching, Stump said without a moment’s hesitation, “I just love working with kids. They’re the reason I’m here. I try to make time to connect with each individual student,” she continued. “The most important thing to me is making sure that students are happy and healthy and safe, and seeing that those needs are met before we start our academic day.”

This passion is apparent every day to Flowery principal Esmeralda Sanchez Moseley, who said of Stump, “She puts students first at all times. Her lesson design and the other experiences that she cultivates for them affect the whole child, including social and emotional learning. She’s very strategic and always thinking about how much she wants kids to enjoy school from day to day.”

Yet, Stump’s impact goes far beyond the classroom as she plays a vital role in the Flowery community as a whole. A certified yoga instructor, Stump leads yoga sessions for other faculty members. She is also involved with Flowery’s Public Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS) team.

For Stump, one of the most essential aspects of her role as an educator is making herself available to students and parents at all times. “Before and after school, my door is always open if students - former students or current students - want to come by for help. I think making the time, being available and communicating is a priority,” said Stump.

From her passionate approach to teaching, to her dedication and care for students, colleagues and the families of the Flowery community, the Teacher of the Year award recognizes Stump’s excellence as a teacher and her palpable devotion to the field of education.

“It’s very humbling and it’s a tremendous honor,” Stump said of the award. “I’m very grateful to be at Flowery. I feel very fortunate to work with the staff, the students and the families at Flowery because they’re an incredible support system. I don’t think this would have been possible without this community.”

Sanchez Moseley reciprocated Stump’s sentiment, stating, “She really symbolizes what we’re striving for at Flowery, which is to demonstrate her dedication to teaching and cultivating a high level of learning for our students, day in and day out. She’s all about, ‘How can we enhance Flowery?’ and everything she touches is better for it. The award really symbolizes how proud we all are of her.”

In addition to the title Teacher of the Year, Stump received a monetary award, a certificate and, according to Ball, a resounding round of applause from the entire Flowery school. Stump will also be honored in this year’s Fourth of July Parade, where she will be riding shotgun in Ball’s convertible Mustang.

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