First grade is about learning foundational skills, like the basics of reading and math. But at Bronson Elementary School, first graders are also learning important social skills.
It takes a great deal of work to capture the attention of energetic children while supporting their academic needs – something that Ashley Styles does exceptionally well.
Styles was voted Bronson Elementary’s Teacher of the Year, an accomplishment made possible through the recognition of her peers, said Salinda Wiggins, the school principal. They voted for Styles because of her continued dedication to her students and the positive impact she has had on the community, she said.
“Being recognized by my fellow teachers and my peers is a great honor,” Styles said.
Styles has been teaching for nine years, all at Bronson Elementary.
She grew up surrounded by educators, her mother and grandmother were both teachers. But it wasn’t until her first year of college when she decided to become one herself
“I knew that I wanted to help people, make an impact on lives,” Styles said.
Now Styles said she adores her job and her students. She works tirelessly to make sure that none of them are left behind.
But teaching is not her only responsibility, she also works as a mentor to future teachers. She has welcomed many interns into her classroom to teach them how she does her job with so much care, Wiggins said. For Styles, it has always been about helping others, which is why she ended up in Bronson, a community in need.
“We are a full Title 1 district meaning that a majority of our population is living at or below the poverty level,” Styles said.
According to the Florida Department of Education, 100% of students at Bronson Elementary are economically disadvantaged.
Among the challenges that come with living below the poverty threshold are having less parental involvement and little access to nutritious food.
“If they’re hungry, they are not going to be ready to learn,” Styles said.
Styles addresses her students’ basic needs with empathy and gives them grace in the way that she would hope someone would give to her.
“When you walk into her classroom, there is an atmosphere of love and acceptance,” Wiggins said.
She works hard to build trust and rapport with her students, setting and modeling expectations so they can succeed. She also uses a reward point system to encourage students’ good behavior.
“I pre-load what I want them to do and what I expect of them, like we are going to use our walking feet in the room,” Styles said.
This year, Styles took on a new challenge, welcoming into her classroom multiple students with disabilities that require special accommodations.
According to Wiggins, last year about 25% of the student body had some sort of disability. Because of this growing population, the school has many educational resources in place to help those students.
They offer a range of educational plans to help students succeed including classrooms dedicated to students with disabilities. They also have support facilitators and teachers with additional certifications to help meet student needs within their classrooms, Wiggins said.
Styles works with support facilitators to make sure her students' needs are met.
“She welcomed that challenge fully and said come on in, let’s get these babies learning!” Wiggins said.
When building her lesson plans, Styles takes into account all the academic needs of each child. In her classroom everyone gets individualized attention when needed.
“Our teachers make the difference for our students,” Wiggins said. “They believe that our students can perform no matter what circumstances they come from, and Ms. Styles is one of those teachers who fully believes that they are capable of doing that.”
Aimee Smith is a parent and a teacher at Bronson Elementary who appreciates the efforts the school and Styles make to keep parents informed, and she recognizes all the hard work Styles does to support her students.
“She finds a way to get on every student’s level,” Smith said. “No matter where they are academically, she finds a way to reach them and get them engaged in what they’re doing.”
Smith’s oldest child was in Styles’ classroom, and since then, Smith has requested that all her children be in Styles’ classroom.
“She makes learning fun. Sadie cannot wait to get to school,” Smith said.
Wiggins also recognizes that parental support is essential to a student’s success. She makes it her mission to strengthen the partnership between the school and the community. The school uses an app called ParentSquare as well as social media, like Facebook, to reach parents.
“We know that our students are not going to be successful if we do not have a good partnership with the family,” Wiggins said.
Wiggins said the basic needs of Bronson Elementary students should be met first. Academics come second, and Styles exemplifies this.
Although Styles was surprised to be selected as teacher of the year, she said she could not be more grateful.
“I love what I do, and I could not imagine having any other job,” Styles said.
