An always smiling Angie Michelle Wytovich maintains her calm even during the most hectic and challenging of times, earning her the nickname “Zen” from colleagues. Teaching at Buckland Mills Elementary — a school with exceptional diversity, 26 languages spoken and more than 700 students — Wytovich makes it her priority to ensure that each student receives the appropriate attention needed to succeed in the classroom. And parents notice: she is a sought-after teacher.
Her true passion is working with English Language Learners and tailoring lessons to their needs. She collaborates with ELL teachers and the community to speak with non-native English-speaking parents using whatever means necessary — from translators and online forums to in-person discussions. And these methods have been proven effective, as shown by her students’ incredible progress, particularly in reading. Last year, 75% of Wytovich’s students started the year below grade level but within just half a year, nearly all met the grade level benchmark.
For the past nine years, Wytovich has taught third grade but she is currently a second grade teacher. She often serves as a mentor and has a reputation for being willing to help. Her door is always open and she takes the initiative no matter how busy she is.
She regularly shares strategies with other teachers in roundtable sessions and professional development training on how to better engage students. She is said to have a “gift for galvanizing colleagues around a common goal of learning.”
As a math team leader, she piloted a co-teaching model with a Title 1 math specialist and also serves on Buckland’s Teacher Leadership Team as the second grade team leader. Her efforts contributed significantly to Standards of Learning (SOL) test scores for third grade increasing from 66 to 81 percent in math, and from 79 to 85 percent in reading.
Wytovich is dedicated to quality educational opportunities for every student and collaborated with colleagues to achieve all requirements to become a fully verified International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme. Her passion for doing whatever it takes to helps every child to be successful is what makes her a model for her profession.
