St. Lucie Public Schools ‘Teacher of the Year’ zone finalist

FORT PIERCE, Fla. (CBS12) — Teacher Feature is sponsored by Kogan & DiSalvo.

CBS12 News’ next “Teacher Feature” was one of the St. Lucie Public Schools Teacher of the Year zone finalists for the school district.

Ranika Hart teaches 5th grade at Lawnwood Elementary School in Fort Pierce. She’s been a teacher for eight years and is known for her electric energy.

“Me and my kids have a great bond in here. We’re a family, and my test scores prove that. So, what we’re doing is working,” said Hart. “Our test scores are amazing. We have so many strategies, and we have kids who really, really, really want to be successful here, along with we have so many strategies and people coming into our classroom to help us, help our babies, and we’re getting it.”

One of Hart’s strategies is “whole brain teaching,” something most people have never heard of.

CBS12 News’ next “Teacher Feature” was one St. Lucie Public Schools Teacher of the Year zone finalist for the school district. Ranika Hart teaches 5th grade at Lawnwood Elementary School in Fort Pierce. (WPEC)

“To be a teacher, you first have to be a student. So, during the summer, I look for different ways to be book capacity in my classroom, and I found whole brain teaching works. So, what I do is I find a key word they’ll see over and over again on the assessment or in our books, and I put a movement to it, by putting a movement or a song to it, it activates their entire brain, and we rehearse this every single day,” said Hart. “It also builds familiarity in the classroom. They know in the coming to miss Hart’s room, they’re going to get loved, they’re going to do whole brain teaching, and you’re going to put that work in, and it works.”

Hart makes it clear during her lessons that it’s important to make sure her students don’t feel scared or nervous for anything in school and life.

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“Especially right now, they actually know that they are enough. What you’re doing right now is enough. You shouldn’t be afraid or intimidated of anything if you’re doing your best, and especially if you’re in 703, you are safe and you are enough,” said Hart. “You’re going to a really exciting phase of your life, and for that, what you have right now is enough. Your test scores are enough. You are enough, and you are well prepared for this good work.”

Hart was tearing up, getting emotional talking about her students.

“You know, teaching is not for everybody, but when you find your thing, you just know. I love coming in here every day, having these kids assigned to me. These are my children, and I take what I do very personally. I was called to be a teacher,” said Hart.

Hart’s talent and devotion to her students led to her being one of the Teacher of the Year zone finalists for the school district. She says this is the highest honor of her whole life.

Another amazing thing about Hart is that district officials have teachers from all over St. Lucie County come to learn strategies from her because her strategies work and her students are very receptive to it.