Meet Suzy Nelson, Pence 4th grade teacher
A student sent the following message about Mrs. Nelson, “She always makes learning fun and always uses Habit 6:Sharpen the Saw by listening to music and singing.”
Suzy stated that “Teaching is my love, and I love my kids.” In the classroom, Suzy has a tough-love philosophy, yet she loves the students and tells them what they need to hear so they can be successful. In her classroom, she loves using the whole brain teaching methods, and this helps reach the students through movement and hands-on learning.
The students like to be pushed out of their comfort zone, which helps them do better. Suzy builds bonds with her students by finding something special about the students. The school day is filled with learning through fun and goofy activities, and Suzy enjoys singing and will sing to the students going down the hall. Another example of playful learning was using Easter eggs and hitting them with her arms and then “T-Rex” arms” to show the difference in force. Suzy said she gets along with the kids better than the adults!
Before becoming a teacher, Suzy worked in a factory for 18 years. While growing up, Suzy was poor and did not have an adult to help guide her to the next level. She was not great at math, which scared her to continue school or consider college. When her twins, Dain and Kiera, were in 7th grade TAG, she realized she was not the greatest role model. Suzy decided to go back to college, and her first class was math. She decided this was the right step if she could pass this class. It was hard, but she received 100%. After that, she quit working in the factory and started working as an associate for our district, and now is a 4th-grade teacher. Suzy has been involved with the school’s book club, after-school program, student leadership team for LIM, and on the Read Across America and ISASP committee for five years.
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Suzy and her husband Shawn have been married 31 years this May. Suzy and Shawn were high school sweethearts. Their twins are 25 years old. They also have a granddog, Jin, and two cats, Motley and Ozzy, whom Suzy calls cat-dogs.
When Suzy is not at school, she is helping build a new house in Fairfield. You can find Suzy outside; she loves being in nature, and her favorite things to do outside are hiking or kayaking.
Suzy’s greatest role models are her mother and a former student. Her mom is legally blind and turns 81 this year. Everything stems from what her mom taught her. The motto is, “Push through tough things and invincible greatness.” She also looks up to her uncle, who lost his leg in the war, still built his own house, and currently rides a dirt bike at 85.
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