Amanda Nguyen

Amanda Nguyen of Belvidere, is teaches Kindergarten at Rockford’s West View Elementary, where she’s been the past 10 of her 12 years teaching. As a young mom, Amanda was a swimming instructor, with no roadmap for the future. She knew she’d excelled at teaching children and found her path led her to Kindergarten students. “In many cases, I’m the first person to introduce them to a love of learning. I get to light up their day with books, hugs, science experiments and play-based learning.” One student’s parent wrote that Amanda is “not just teaching, she is instilling a genuine passion for exploration and knowledge.” Another, whose son who has Down Syndrome, shared how Amanda supported them as he grew from a challenged Kindergarten student to an eighth grader meeting the same neuro-typical goals as peers. His mother’s goal for her son to not graduate high school with a certificate, but with a diploma was met by an encouraging “OK, let’s go for it!” as Amanda jumped in to find tools to help him succeed. To celebrate another aspect of diversity, Amanda created “Around the World Night.” Students and families sample foods and discover different the countries students researched. One year, students researched Amanda’s Vietnamese heritage. The next, they highlighted a student from Nigeria who shared family recipes, attire and experiences. This event has sparked great excitement and pride in students and families. 94% of West View’s students come from low-income households and have experienced the loss of a parent, exposure to substance abuse, neglect or lack of basic needs like food and clothing. “The experiences significantly influence my students’ ability to learn, interact with others and regulate emotions. One of the most effective ways to address their needs is through consistent love and support. It is this foundation of love that allows them to feel confident in their learning, build relationships and grow both academically and personally.” Amanda developed a progressive literacy program based on how swimmers start with fundamentals, get tested and move up to more advanced groups to learn advanced skills. Her Kindergarten students start with fundamentals. She evaluates them to shift them between groups as they move through skills, resulting in more than 80% of her class reading at or above grade level, so she applied similar principles to math. Soon, she was asked to create a developmental framework for the whole school.