The Goddard Education Foundation helps provide innovative opportunities and resources for classrooms across the Goddard School District. At Explorer Elementary, in Mrs. Lilly’s 4th-grade classroom, her students can participate in unique learning experiences with the incorporation of “Morning Bins for Creative Collaboration” in daily class time.

After COVID, Mrs. Lilly recognized a need to build the social skills of students in her 4th-grade classes. With the resources provided by a Goddard Education Foundation Innovative Teacher Grant, Mrs. Lilly’s students experience various educational activities while incorporating cooperative and collaborative practices. Mrs. Lilly provides 30 bins with different activities challenging students to utilize their critical thinking skills while also cooperating in groups to solve problems.

Morning bins are rotated every day, giving each student the opportunity to utilize five tubs per week. “This would give them a variety of exposure to different activities without getting bored,” Mrs. Lilly explains. This initiative also provides an opportunity for teachers to help manage groups and teach them to work together while the students are “playing.” This project has had huge benefits on the way children work together, “children being able to work through conflict or disagreement calmly and kindly.”

The social skills students build while utilizing these resources are essential to their future success. Mrs. Lilly understands the importance of collaboration with others and has made an innovative change in her classroom. “The goal of this project is to instill the knowledge and ability to work together and should impact the students through the rest of their academic and work lives.” The Goddard Education Foundation sees the need to support students academically and socially as they grow through the Goddard Public School system.

Explorer Elementary Teacher Grants

INSPIRING MINDS & EXPANDING POSSIBILITIESFOR EXPLORER ELEMENTARY

2023 Era Lilly - 4th Grade Teacher

2023 Melissa Haney - Project Lead The Way Teacher

2023 Kari Vermillion and Taylor Graber - Kindergarten Teachers

2022 Melissa Haney- Project Lead The Way Teacher

2022 Jen Schrader - Counselor

2022 Leah Whelan - 2nd Grade Teacher

2021 Melissa Haney- Project Lead The Way Teacher

2020 Kathy Clapp- Early Childhood Teacher

2020 Chollet Bucl- Early Childhood Teacher