Canton teacher wins Golden Apple Award

CANTON, Mo (WGEM) - Canton’s Alyssa Uppinghouse was awarded the December WGEM Golden Apple Award.

Uppinghouse is in her twelfth year teaching junior high math.

Fellow educators and students say there’s no one more caring and dedicated to teaching than Uppinghouse.

“She’s able to connect with each and every student. She’s always willing to go above and beyond and do whatever it takes to make each kid feel special,” Kailee Canton High School business teacher Kailee Gaither said.

Students say she takes the time to get to know each one of them and that allows her to make real connections.

“She cares for all of her students it’s obvious, and she puts in a lot of hard work to make sure we are learning, ”eighth grader Kenna Oliver said.

“She’s very understanding of everything and she takes into account everything that she knows about you,” said eighth grade student Chayse Uhlmeyer.

“Always asks what you are doing this weekend or do you have any games, or who is your siblings,” said eighth grader Addelyn Baker.

“I like making those connections with the kids kind of outside of the content. I like when kids come to me to tell me something that happened in their day or over the weekend, that they are excited to tell me. Like I’m an important person in their life,” Uppinghouse said.

Teacher Kailee Gaither nominated Uppinghouse for the Golden Apple Award. She says she’s a role model for others.

She’s so well-known for her positive approach to educating students, that among her co-workers they call it the “Alyssa Approach”.

“We always know that Alyssa is the one that’s going to take a positive approach in whatever it is. When we handle situations or have a tough time with a student or a tough time with a parent whatever we always say ok, what’s the approach you would take,” Gaither explained.

“I think that’s the only way to approach life, you know is to try and find the positive in everything,” Uppinghouse said.

A positive approach that’s adding up for her students.

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