Congratulations to Ocean View Teachers of the Year for 2009
Elementary Teacher of the Year Michelle Wall and Middle School Teacher of the Year Denise Cordi
Michelle Wall - Elementary Teacher of the Year
Michelle Wall has been a Special Day Class teacher for the Ocean View School District since 2000 and has also directed the District’s Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) support program since 2003. Michelle teaches preschool through first grade at Westmont School, an extremely diverse school with two thirds of the student population being Title I and two-thirds, English language learners.
Michelle is a highly competent educator who bases her instructional program on standards and curricular guidelines, her knowledge of how children learn, and the needs of the students in the class as a whole and individually. She is a true professional, readily accepting responsibility and carrying out her duties with efficiency and dispatch. Michelle is innovative and well organized and takes the initiative to problem-solve. She promotes students’ independence, their ability to make good decisions and interact well with others appropriately, as well as their academic skills. Michelle’s knowledge, understanding and skills with students with autism is truly exceptional.
Michelle Wall has a wonderful rapport with students, staff, and parents. Her genuine concern shows in all her interactions. Her behavior management system is gentle, but firm, caring, and consistent. She is quite able to handle exceptional needs of individual children. Michelle is extremely skilled at adjusting instruction and behavioral management strategies for individual students. Michelle has demonstrated her abilities to effectively manage challenging parents and community members with tact, finesse, and compassion.
Michelle Wall is a self-actualizer and does well at all challenges she approaches. She volunteers at the Special Olympics and participates in all local autism fundraisers. She regularly speaks to graduate school programs for special education teacher recruiting purposes. Many of Michelle’s current and former students participate in the Challenger Sports Leagues for special needs children and she regularly attends their soccer and baseball games to show support and cheer them on. Michelle has brought this passion to her family and often takes her daughter to special needs events. “I want both of my children to grow up respecting children with special needs, and understand these children have unique qualities to offer everyone. I want them to learn to advocate for their special peers during their own school years,” said Michelle.
Michelle Wall has been chosen to represent Ocean View School District for the 2009 Orange County Teacher of the Year competition.
Denise Cordi - Middle School Teacher of the Year 2009
Denise Cordi began her distinguished career at Vista View Middle School as a Speech and Language Specialist in 1976. In 32 years of service to Ocean View School District, all 32 years have been at Vista View. Denise has dedicated her career to doing whatever it takes to support student success, and her service to the children of Vista View makes her a tremendous asset to our educational program. With a shortage of Speech and Language Specialists, Denise is not a stranger to large caseloads. However, through ingenuity, collaborative planning with colleagues, and a “can-do” outlook, each year Denise successfully designs a service schedule that ensures the needs of each and every student is met. Denise is a team player in every sense of the word. She doesn’t simply pull students out for speech and language services, she also pushes into intervention classes, assisting the classroom teacher by working with and supporting groups of both regular and special education students.
In speaking with Denise about her career, she is quick to defer to the outstanding people she has worked with throughout her years as an educator. When asked to discuss career highlights, she will talk about how lucky she has been to have worked with so many caring and professional people. Denise is the quintessential professional educator. She is part of the CalSTAT Leadership Team at Vista View and has presented at the state conference for the past two years. Denise also played an integral role in the development of the Response to Intervention model for the District.
Denise Cordi is distinguished by her care and commitment to her peers and students. Her rapport with students is evidenced in the number of students who congregate to her office during lunch, at recess, and after school. Even after their children have moved on, many parents still keep in contact with Denise to provide periodic updates of how their children are doing in high school. Denise is fond of saying that once she works with a student, that student is hers for life. She embodies the idea that once a student walks through her door, they are never a stranger to her again.
Denise has been married for 26 years to her husband Marcel and has two children, Marc Anthony, age 15, and Nicole, a senior at Capistrano Valley High School.
