The Rogersville Review

MOUNT CARMEL — Hawkins County School System instructor Stephanie Mann celebrated the beginning of her school year Monday with $2,000 of support for English education in her classroom.

Mann, a fifth grade teacher at Mount Carmel Elementary School, was recently notified by the Food Lion Charitable Foundation that she received the grant money to purchase updated Shurley Method English materials.

“I heard about it from my sister, Jennifer Eaton, who is an assistant principal at Honaker Elementary School in Southwest Virginia,” Mann said. “Additional teaching materials can be costly and I knew this was an opportunity to apply for the money and possibly help students stay up-to-date.”

Mann said for five years she has used the Shurley Method to teach English concepts in ways that can be more easily understood by students.

“Using the Shurley Method I’ve observed students who have had difficulty identifying parts of speech or understanding the structure of a sentence who suddenly have what I call an ‘A-ha’ moment,” she recalled. “What seemed impossible for them to understand started making sense.”

And Mann said nothing excites her more as a teacher than to see students understand a once-thought “impossible” concept.

The Shurley English curriculum uses a variety of research-based strategies to teach students grammar and writing skills, she explained.

“They are constantly exposed to ‘see it, hear it, say it, and do it’ activities that meet visual, auditory and kinesthetic learning styles.”

First, the teacher models the new skill being taught for the students. Then, students along with the teacher actively participate in practicing the new skill.

“While the program works to improve students’ grammar and writing skills, the most important thing it accomplishes is improved self-confidence and self-esteem,” Mann said. “I encourage teachers to be open-minded when looking for research-based programs, not only in English, but in any area of study that can help them reach students more easily.”

Mann said she is passionate about her 11-year career as a Hawkins County school teacher and continuously searches for new ways to stimulate students’ learning experience.

“Guiding students to understand and learn are the greatest rewards for a teacher,” she smiled. “And I’m grateful to the foundation and many other organizations out there that recognize that.”

Mann is a Honaker, Virginia native and graduate of East Tennessee State University who lives in Mount Carmel with her husband Jeff and her daughter Alexandra.

The Food Lion Charitable Foundation, established in 2001, provides financial support for programs and organizations dedicated to improving the communities in which Food Lion operates. It places emphasis on the support of primary nd secondary education, feeding the hungry and organizations that enhance the quality of life in Food Lion’s local communities.

The company currently operates one store in the Hawkins County and Kingsport area at Church Hill.

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