Kimberly W.

El Mirage Elementary

My teacher is Kim Windish. While I am not in third grade, I am part of an ASU Cohort in which we co-teacher with a “master” teacher for the entire year. I have had the privilege of teaching alongside Mrs. Windish for the past month. Mrs. Windish is looping with her students this year, which means they had her for 2nd grade and now 3rd. The first week of school felt like the middle of the year because of the relationship she has build with the class and each student. The students know the expectations that she holds for them as there are “no excuses” in our classroom. At El Mirage we are one of three “No Excuses Universities” in AZ. As a member of NEU we hold the expectation that all of our students will go to college. Our classroom has adopted the University of Villanova, Pennsylvania… Go Cats! Each day our students strive to, “make Villanova proud” by doing their best work, following expectations and giving 100% participation. Mrs. Windish has done anything and everything to make these students feel loved, accepted, important, and held high expectations for them to strive to always do their best. In honor of National University Day, Mrs. Windish personally bought and made each student a Villanova University t-shirt. She arrives at school each day at 6am and doesn’t leave until after 5 as well as comes in every weekend. Her work is never done as she says and her attitude, hard work, and true desire to change these students’ lives is apparent each day. No matter what is going on in her personal life with her three children, one who has medical issues, her husband, or her aunt who is currently in the hospital fighting for her life, she comes to school each day and is ready to give the kids her best. When I think of the kind of teacher I want to be when I have my own classroom next year I think of Mrs. Windish. While it has only been a month, I can’t imagine the growth the students and I will all have due to Mrs. Windish. If I asked any student about Mrs. Windish they would say nothing but great things. She has to buy many of her own supplies and has spent more money in the past year at El Mirage than all of her 20 years of teaching. She is dedicated and amazing in the classroom. If there were more teachers like her, then more students would be excited to learn and excel academically.

Signed,
Ashley Mcdonnell