Lisa Nielsen, Southland Elementary

“Back in 2008, my daughter had Mrs. Lisa Nielsen as her third grade teacher. Lisa’s compassion and understanding helped my daughter gain confidence as a student, and Lisa’s humor made learning fun. Now in 2023, my son is privileged to have Lisa as his 6th grade teacher, in the Dual Language Immersion program, splitting the day with Chinese. He LOVES Mrs. Nielsen, saying easily that she is his favorite teacher ever! Not only does she still teach with humor (which is amazing in and of itself after teaching for so many years), but she expects a lot from her 6th graders. She teaches them to take responsibility for their own learning, not to blame their parents if they forgot to study for a test, or turn something in. I love that she is teaching them life skills as well as reading, writing, and arithmetic, preparing them for middle school and beyond. My son thrives under her attention and caring expectations, and has wished many times that he could be in her classroom all day instead of just half of it. I am thankful that she makes learning fun, builds up her students with positive reinforcement, and gives them the courage and motivation to try hard, all while maintaining a no-nonsense, yet upbeat, atmosphere in her classroom. I know she will be retiring soon, and I am just grateful two of my kids have been fortunate enough to benefit from her teaching. Thank you Lisa for all you do!”

-Sharon Kartchner