Spotlight: Angel Herring, Normandy Crossing Elementary

Angel Herring is an ESL (English as a Second Language) Pre-K teacher at Normandy Crossing Elementary in Galena Park ISD. Her goal is to build confidence in all the students, provide interactive lessons, and make each day a learning adventure while students reach their fullest potential.

Ms. Herring isn’t your typical pre-k teacher, she creates hands-on lessons that her students will remember for the rest of their life. For example, she built a headphone stand for her listening center using PVC pipe. She immediately thought about how many concepts she could teach her students with such an activity. She pre-cut the PVC pipe, which she put into a math center for measuring. The students measured each piece and then put them together themselves. They learned how to use a ruler, measure objects, and the real-life purpose of measuring. Her students took great pride in their accomplishment.

Another example is how Ms. Herring celebrates Read Across America, with a special tribute to Dr. Seuss. During this week, you can find Ms. Herring dressed up in her custom-made Dr. Seuss attire to engage the students. She teaches her students about irreversible mixtures by adding green food coloring to eggs while reading “Green Eggs & Ham,” as well as making a pink ink drink while reading “One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish.” She also incorporates math patterns by using red and white linking cubes as a hands-on ESL activity while reading “Cat In The Hat.”

Not only does Ms. Herring strive to give her students the best possible education, but she also helps her fellow teachers do their best as well. She is seen as a mentor and master teacher. Her activities have been so successful that she has shared them on blogs, teacher organizations, and teacher clubs. Her lessons and centers have been shared over 3,000 times.

Ms. Herring has received several awards during her 13 years of teaching. She recently won scholarships from ATPE and TCEA to help her further her education.  She won ESL Teacher of the Year from her school and then GPISD.  She won Educator of the Year from the Children’s Museum of Houston last school year.  She has a Certified Digital Educator Certification from Lamar, a Campus Technology Specialist from TCEA, Google Certified Educator Level 1, Apple Certified Teacher, Certified Microsoft Innovative Educator.  In the past she was named Kroger Classroom Champ and received the Red Apple Award on live TV from KHOU and Star Furniture.