Third-grade teacher Dawn K. Nistal breathes life into district curriculum and state standards for students at Seven Oaks Elementary School in Eagle. During a recent math unit, Ms. Nistal had her students create maps with directions from their homes to school as well as calculate the distances and times. To check for accuracy and to make instruction relevant for each child, Ms. Nistal drove to each student's house per their directions. Such innovative techniques, along with her standardized test preparatory classes, have resulted in consistently high Idaho Reading Indicator (IRI) scores among Ms. Nistal's students. An active seeker of growth opportunities, Ms. Nistal recently completed her master's in technology in education and worked to implement an accelerated math and reading course at the elementary level. She continues to mentor new teachers at her school.
