Nami Stager cultivates her fourth-grade classroom one student at a time at Northern Elementary in Lexington, KY. Born into a family of educators, she demonstrates an unflagging insistence that her students are smart and nurtures their aptitude and mastery in an assortment of ways.
Skilled at individualized instruction, Stager empowers each child with a folder of prompts containing skills to master, along with individualized testing tailored to their level. She enthusiastically embraced SMART Boards when they became available, and her unit that linked a student garden to several core subjects is legend. Reading, social studies, writing and math achievement in her classroom rank above state averages. A master in individualized instruction who constantly analyzes student progress, she is in regular contact with parents to provide intensive feedback, sometimes at the rate of four or five times a day. She also has a solid grasp of core requirements, with clearly defined expectations for students.
Stager is a member of the Superintendent’s Advisory Council, as well as several school-based leadership committees. A mentor to colleagues, she has completed district-level curriculum work in various subjects and has given presentations on behalf of the district. She also is a grade-level team teacher who models lessons at her school and in other buildings. Currently working to complete her master’s degree, Stager is firmly committed to learning—day in and day out.
