LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Rosann Roberts Posted 9 months ago

I am honored to write this letter recommending Rebecca Moser for the LifeChanger of the year award. Having had the pleasure of working alongside Rebecca as a colleague and friend, I can confidently say that she embodies the qualities of an exceptional special educator/case manager and exudes the leadership, positive influence and excellence that the National Life Group Foundation has set as a standard for this award. Presently Rebecca is a kindergarten special education teacher and student support services case manager for Douglas Primary School. Rebecca's organizational skills are exemplary managing classroom resources, student records, and paperwork efficiently, which allows her to focus on what truly matters: the students. Her knowledge of special education law, trends, and hot topics, provides our district with leadership, innovation, and assurance that each student with an identified disability receives a free and appropriate public education. She is strong in the pedagogy that our students need to progress on academic goals in reading, writing, and math. She designs lessons that are tailored to the individual needs of our students, promote active learning, and support evidence-based practices. Creativity is another one of Rebecca's strengths. When differentiation is needed, she adapts lessons to meet the individual students’ strengths and diverse learning needs. This creative approach not only engages students but also fosters a positive classroom environment where all students feel valued and included. Rebecca's patience and determination is truly remarkable. She recognizes the potential in each student that enters the doors of Douglas primary school. She maintains a calm and positive demeanor, which allows her to successfully support students who may take longer to develop “school ready” skills and understand concepts. Her ability to help students learn emotional regulation strategies has significantly contributed to their emotional and academic growth. This patience, combined with her adaptability, enables her to quickly assess students’ abilities and tailor her teaching methods and interventions to ensure that all students make meaningful progress. One of Rebecca's most admirable qualities is her commitment and loyalty to our students, families and to our profession. It is not surprising that on more than one occasion she responded to a choking student during lunch with quickness and efficiency. For this, Rebecca was awarded the Douglas Police Department's life-saving award. She consistently seeks ways to better serve her students and their families, showing her dedication to nurturing their unique strengths and creating safe, positive, and productive school experiences for our students. Beyond her educational skills, Rebecca is a true collaborator. Her hard work, interpersonal skills, problem solving ability, and commitment to a professional work ethic make her an asset to those she works with. She approaches challenges with critical thinking and resourcefulness, earning the trust and respect of her colleagues, students, and their families. Rebecca is not only an outstanding educator but also an inspiring individual who positively affects everyone around her. I highly recommend her for the LifeChanger of the Year award. Thank you for your consideration regarding this nomination. Respectfully submitted by: Rosann Roberts, CCSD #1 Motor Therapy Coordinator

Tayli Stenerson Posted 9 months ago

My name is Tayli Stenerson and I am writing this letter because of the beneficial impact Rebecca Moser has had on our students, school, and district in Douglas, Wyoming. Rebecca currently serves as our Special Education Case Manager. As an employee of Douglas Primary School, I have had the honor of seeing firsthand the impact that Rebecca has had on our students’ lives. Rebecca has undoubtedly changed the lives of staff and students alike during her tenure as an educator. I fully believe that the following qualities that Rebecca possesses qualify her for the LifeChanger of the Year Award. When students walk through our school’s doors, Rebecca Moser is one of the first staff members to offer assistance on ensuring that all children succeed academically and socially. This is especially true for at risk students who come to us with trauma, behavior concerns, or need Special Education services. She has a proven ability to make a beneficial contribution to students’ lives through her dedication to every student, every day. Rebecca demonstrates this daily through facilitating social skills groups to teach Kindergarteners and First Graders instrumental life skills. Because of these services Rebecca provides, students can thrive as learners at school and in their everyday life. She has set up numerous individual bathroom break routines, taught safety expectations, and made learning about social skills engaging for our students. Rebecca also makes time daily to grant students positive breaks in her classroom. This relationship building time strengthens student’s connectedness to our school community and increases their confidence in their abilities. Rebecca is willing to go above and beyond her listed job duties to benefit the lives of our students at Douglas Primary School. Our school atmosphere is positively impacted by Rebecca’s selfless attitude. There have been numerous times when a staff member in need has been blessed by Rebecca’s generosity to donate food, household items, and time to give advice on hard life situations that staff members may be experiencing. Rebecca checks in on our paraprofessional well-being daily. She goes out of her way to support them in every aspect of their life in any way that she can. When students are proving to demonstrate challenging behaviors, Rebecca is a wealth of knowledge to staff and parents on options that will lead the student to success. At Douglas Primary School, Rebecca is a leader by being a mentor to new staff and paraprofessionals. She consistently checks in with staff members regarding their own welfare as well as their children’s. She goes above and beyond to make sure DPS team members have what they need to thrive. Rebecca also is a leady by serving as a member of the DPS Leadership Team. During this time, she gives insight that impacts crucial decisions that impact our students. Her 15 years of service to educating our youth are beneficial in weekly leadership meetings as her perspective guides conversations regarding MTSS implementation, Special Education students, and behavioral concerns. Rebecca’s record of excellent performance at the professional level is evident through her 15 years of experience in education. At Douglas Primary School, she has served as a First-Grade classroom teacher and currently serves as our Special Education Case Manager. Rebecca is a Nationally Board-Certified Teacher who believes in the impact that a caring and knowledgeable educator can positively change the life of students in our community. As our Special Education Case Manager, Rebecca mentors general education teachers and resource teachers on successful learning strategies, behavior skills, and parent communication. Rebecca also possesses the innate ability to produce a nurturing atmosphere daily. A specific instance that stands out is when Rebecca purchased Christmas presents for a student in-need. Knowing that this student might go without, Rebecca went out of her way to ensure that this child would be able to have presents to open on Christmas morning. Rebecca advocates for students to receive testing, resources, and teachers to gain necessary training to provide these options to students. She has other teacher’s well-being in mind each day. As a first-year counselor myself, Rebecca assisted me for countless hours working on forming 504 plans for students. Additionally, during my first year of employment she attended parent meetings to help guide me. Having Rebecca to provide advice created a nurturing atmosphere where I felt capable of succeeding. Under her guidance I was able to make mistakes and grow from them rather than fail. One of the greatest reasons why Rebecca deserves the Life Changing award is due to her adherence to high moral and ethical standards. Rebecca is educated extensively in Special Education Law as it pertains to our school district and state. She consistently updates teachers on new policies and procedures that are necessary for us to follow with fidelity. Rebecca is consistently a reliable resource for any questions or concerns relevant to Special Education law. She is an instrumental asset to have in our building to assist parents and guardians when they need information regarding their child’s education. Every day Rebecca demonstrates moral standards by remaining dedicated to our students, being available for advice, and collaborating with teachers to best assist our students. As a newly employed educator, Rebecca’s dedication to educating youth and mentoring staff is encouraging. Every day she demonstrates how to handle challenges and successes while working with our students. I truly believe that Rebecca has positively impacted the lives of our school and district to an extent that deserves the LifeChanger of the Year Award.

Shayli Posted 9 months ago

Rebecca Moser is a life-changer within our school. She is our case manager/kindergarten special education teacher officially but she un-officially she wears has many titles and wears many hats. She is the type of person who will go above and beyond for all students and staff she encounters. Rebecca is a mentor to our special education staff and she will be right by their side for as long as they need it. She is always the one that everyone goes to with their questions because she always has an answer, and if she doesn’t she’s sure to quickly find one for you. She cares about the teachers around her and will take the time to mentor those who need help with their passing their praxis or just need some extra support within their classrooms. She the type of leader where every month she gets appreciations gifts for the paraprofessionals and others on her team so they know that she truly appreciates what they do. The students that she works with have such a deep relationship with her and they will do anything for her. She takes time to learn what they like and really gets to know her students in a lot of ways that other teachers. She has so much patience with her students and works with them Rebecca is the kind of person who will pay off a student’s lunch balance or will go and get Christmas presents for a whole family because they missed the sign up for the local gift giveaway. Rebecca is one of the most amazing educators I have ever had the pleasure of working with and there just aren’t enough words to describe her. She is the definition of what a life-changing educator is and our students are lucky that they get to have her to start their learning career. She sets them up for success right from the start.