Testimonials

From colleagues and supervisors

“How can I describe Sherry to you? Sherry is the teacher that I aspire to be. She has this amazing way of being able to see the big picture, to separate the wheat from the chaff, and keep her vision clear. She creates a rich, meaningful curriculum that takes her students down the path to incredible achievement…Some of my most successful teaching has come from ideas and ‘best teaching practices’ that I’ve learned from Sherry. She is always abreast of current educational research, and she then synthesizes this knowledge and puts it into practice immediately. She is a highly respected educator throughout the county, having taught many workshops over the years.”

~ A colleague

“Sherry is a leader among her peers in the area of staff development. An expert in early literacy and language development, Sherry has facilitated regional workshops in all aspects of literacy.

Sherry is an enthusiastic teacher with limitless amounts of energy. She is one of those rare finds who has those intangible qualities that separate a good teacher from a great one. She fosters a positive attitude for learning in all of her students.”

~ A principal

“I consider Sherry an invaluable mentor; I’ve gone back to her with questions, dilemmas, and requests, and she is always eager to problem solve, share materials, along with her student-tested ideas. Her love of life and learning coupled with the vision of success she has for her students are evident and powerful forces in Sherry’s own success as an educator and mentor.”

~ A colleague

“By capturing and facilitating the student voice on the chocolate milk issue, you have provided students with the authentic learning that can only occur when it is ‘real’ and truly comes from kids. It is one of the most powerful learning experiences I have seen.”

~ A principal

“I have learned SO much from this training. You modeled and presented all strategies in an effective way that was easy for me to understand and use. Thank you for your time and feedback. It was very much appreciated!”

~ A workshop participant

“As a professional development coordinator for many years and the coordinator of the literacy coach program, I was continually looking for teachers who had the ability and motivation to deliver high quality professional development to their fellow teachers. Along with being exemplary classroom teachers knowledgeable in a variety of research-based instructional practices, I needed those who displayed strong leadership and collegial skills, knew adult learning theory/staff development strategies and possessed an eagerness to share their curricular expertise with others. When I met Sherry Grazda, I knew I had hit the jackpot.”

~ A supervisor and co-presenter

From students

“You are the woman who taught me to read. I will never forget you.” Age 8

“I have gotten really great at my reading. I’ve gotten so great at my reading, I feel like I am a human dictionary because I feel so smart.” Age 6

“You make the inside of me light up when you walk in the room in the morning. You’re the best teacher I have ever had!” Age 8

“Thank you for all the great days. My favorite thing was vocabulary.” Age 9

From parents

“Sherry is awesome! Sherry was able to teach my daughter the strategies she needed to be a fluent and successful reader within a couple of months. Thanks to Sherry, my daughter now loves to read and write. I am forever grateful for her help and expertise!”

~ Liz Cosgrove, Durango

“My daughter K. has made more progress in the last four months than she did in her first four years of school. Reading is now an important and enjoyable activity for her. This transformation happened suddenly and painlessly. What a joy it is to see her curled up in a chair reading. I give full credit for this reading awakening to Sherry Grazda’s teaching.”

“Our daughter struggles with reading and writing a great deal. We have tried so many things including specialized tutoring for children with dyslexia. Nothing seemed to be giving her the push forward she needed in the third grade to actually catch up with her peers. Her struggle with reading began to affect her self-esteem.

Our school is very supportive, especially the teacher who works with her on her reading, but tutoring was a necessity for our daughter. Sherry helped move her ahead more than one year in reading and also helped me learn skills to use at home when reading with our child. She is now choosing grade level books and has much more confidence in her abilities. Sherry knew exactly how to address the issues she was having with reading. We have been so grateful to have her on our daughter’s team this year.”

“Sherry is a wonderful piano teacher. I love how she is able to balance her passion for strong technique with a warm and encouraging teaching style.”

“Thank you for your warmth, your encouragement, your patience, your creativity, your smiles.”

“Thank you for all that you do for S. She has really blossomed as a student this year. We appreciate all of your efforts to engage your students and challenge them to go above and beyond.”

“Thank you for being the best teacher G. has ever had.”