Mrs. Laura Pettit – Cook Elementary

Mrs. Laura Pettit
Cook Elementary
Davis School District

Mrs. Pettit is an amazing teacher. Whatever the standard is for any criteria of her job, she goes two steps past and brings excellence to her teaching. Mrs. Pettit has always loved music and has worked hard to receive her music endorsement. Her emphasis is using music across the curriculum. She has achieved this and incorporates music in learning. Mrs. Pettit knows how to stretch her students and bring out THEIR BEST WORK! This year Mrs. Pettit learned how to put a blog together and uses it to post pictures (with parent’s permission) of what her class is learning. She updates this regularly and I feel as a parent that I have been involved in the learning with my child. She is able to incorporate themes into every subject that they learn, whether it is social studies, math, science or art. Each subject follows the same theme and enhances learning by doing so. She is truly a gifted teacher and puts many extra hours into helping each child learn.

Mrs. Pettit is the epitome of using creativity in teaching. My child has always had a hard time with math, and doesn’t enjoy it. Mrs. Pettit has used creativity to help teach math principles. While learning the times tables this year, Mrs. Pettit taught them a few “cheers” to help them with some of the harder multiplication facts. One day they were suppose to come dressed like cheerleaders, so they could practice their times tables. My daughter was able to memorize all the times tables and even enjoyed working on them (which has been a nice change from the past couple of years with math). Everything she does has a purpose and furthers learning. She has put on special programs about Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks that talk about freedom. The children learn parts in a narrative and learn to speak loudly and clearly in front of people, while performing their program. She also taught the entire class how to play the ukulele and they have done musical numbers in the program. Recently she did a program on Dr. Seuss, celebrating his birthday. Again she showcases their talents and incorporates music and rhythm into the program. Everything she has done, so far this year has been so impressive to me. A few examples are; learning about economics by building a community, learning the phases of the moon with Oreo cookies, putting a class quilt together to go with the book “The Talking Cloth,” learning math with magic, learning multiplication with drums, dressing up as a character from a book you’ve read for Halloween and giving a summary of the book through the characters point of view in front of class. There are so many more examples. One would just have to take a look at the class blog and be TOTALLY IMPRESSED with the different styles of learning that has taken part this year.

Mrs. Pettit has a motto for teaching. It is “That which is learned without pleasure is soon forgotten without regret,” Merlin, from King Arthur. She follows this motto completely in her teaching style. She also sends an email home EVERY DAY to help keep the parents informed. Sometimes she challenges us to ask our children something about what they learned that day. She also puts practice tests on the UTIPS link from her web site, so the kids can practice before a big test coming up in class. She is always thinking of new and innovative ways to teach the students. I once heard her say in response to a parent that was thanking her for all the extra hours she puts into teaching, “I just get an idea in my head and I can’t NOT do it. So I stay at school until I make it work” I feel she has given my daughter the best education that we could ask for. As another parent commented on the class blog, “Every child should have a “MRS. PETTIT” at least once in their education.” I believe this whole heartedly and strongly nominate her for this award.

-Kaylene Marriott