ALTON - Savannah Stover makes core memories in the classroom, and these moments are just as important to her as they are to her students.
Stover teaches at West Elementary School in the Alton Community Unit School District #11. This Teacher Appreciation Week, she’s honoring the teachers who inspired her career while celebrating another successful year as a new teacher in the community.
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“I decided to become a teacher because of the teachers who changed my life. I’ve always wanted to be a part of a learning environment and see the good in all kids and be the one who can make a positive change in their lives,” Stover said. “The students are the reason I do what I do. I love creating a positive learning environment and watching them become successful students.”
Stover graduated from McKendree University in 2022 and began teaching fourth grade right away. Though she’s still pretty new to the teaching profession, she has loved every minute of it and looks forward to many years to come.
The relationships she creates with her students are most important to Stover. She enjoys learning new things about each pupil. At the beginning of the year, she has a list of names she doesn’t know. By May, these are names she’ll never forget.
Those relationships can make it difficult for Stover to say goodbye to her students at the end of the school year. But she is proud of every student’s growth and looks forward to watching them succeed in the next chapter of their lives.
“I enjoy working with students because I love to watch the ‘Aha’ moment!” Stover added. “There is nothing better when your students reach their goals. I love being able to teach them new things and build relationships. I love getting to learn new things about each and every one of my students.”
When she’s not in the classroom, Stover can still be found at school, volunteering with the Alton Middle School cheerleading team. She participated in cheerleading throughout her time as a student in the Alton school district, and she said it’s “bittersweet” to coach and teach in the same community she grew up in. She also tutors fourth-grade students through the 21st Century program, which promotes academic and social-emotional growth.
As Stover marks the end of her second year of teaching, she is looking forward to the decades to come. She loves working with students and building community in her classroom, and she is excited for the opportunity to continue her work in August.
“I am excited to continue to teach and learn,” Stover said. “I wake up every day and love what I do. I can honestly say I’m so excited for more years to come of teaching. I’ve made so many memories so far and I’m just now starting.”
Thank you to Savannah Stover for your work as a teacher!
At RiverBender.com, we are celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week from May 6 to May 10, 2024, by highlighting a Riverbend teacher every day. If you would like to nominate a teacher to be profiled, email sydney@riverbender.com with their name and email address.
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