Dana Freedlund

Teacher: Dana Freedlund

Subject: English Language Arts/Reading Intervention

School: Roscoe Middle School

Teaching experience: 29 at RMS, 31 total

What did a nominator or recommender say about this teacher?

• Freedlund remains positive and encouraging, going out of her way to find incentives, build relationships and make her class fun. She deserves to be celebrated for helping foster a love of reading for her students. – nomination from a student’s parent
• [During the 20 years I’ve worked with her], “she has consistently demonstrated herself to be an instructional multiplier, a peer leader and a truly wonderful human being who always prioritizes the needs of students and colleagues. [Dana] leads by example, demands excellence from herself, and continually seeks opportunities to serve the wider community. Her influence resonates in student achievement, the growth of new staff, and the active civic engagement of her students.” – letter of recommendation from an administrator

What does this teacher say? I have so many past teachers who have been positive role models and I want to be that for my students. I believe every student has a flame burning somewhere inside them and that my job as an educator is to guide and encourage them to keep the flame from extinguishing by letting them see their potential. When students struggle, in their mind, it is sometimes easiest to give up and let the fire go out. I always encourage my students to give their best effort. Even if they get every answer incorrect, they can always be proud of their effort.

What else do we know? Dana is a building leader, a new teacher mentor and advisor of the National Junior Honor Society. She guides the NJHS students toward service projects that benefit the community in tangible ways like a fundraiser that raised money for Gigi’s Playhouse, RockHouse Kids and Carpenter’s Place. Her principal also wrote that “her contributions on the Strategic Planning Committee reflect a teacher committed not only to her students’ success today, but also to the long-term wellbeing and vision of our school and district.” “Her classes regularly achieve remarkable academic progress, especially among our most challenged learners.”