BY LARRY DUPEE
Special to the Times
She started out strictly because she had small children of her own in school. Elise Worthington aligned her daily schedule to provide her with time to work at the school, where she found many students who, she said, did not have strong support at home. Worthington said she had found a place where she could help others find their strengths and improve their weaknesses as they developed into future leaders.
Worthington graduated from St. Leo University in 1999 with a Bachelor of Elementary Education. She is also certified in exceptional student education (ESE) K-12, English as a second language and has earned a reading endorsement.
Worthington has been with the school district for 22 years. The first three were as an ESE resource and teaching seventh and eighth grade reading. The next 17 years, Worthington taught ESE for all the grades at LBES. Her most recent position has been teaching fourth grade at LBES for ten years.
Coming to UCHS last year, she currently is teaching intensive reading ESE to eleventh and twelfth grades. She also works with students who have not achieved the level of performance required for graduation. To graduate, students must pass one of three state exams – the ACT, the SAT or the Florida Standards Assessment (FSA). Worthington is a “go-to teacher.” She will work with students who need help with their studies, whether they are in the hospital or are homebound for physical or behavioral issues. She will go to them to help.
When she started teaching, she said that her sister remarked that “she genuinely wants to help others be successful and has the biggest heart for kids, treating them like they were her own.”
Worthington’s dedication to teaching extends to afterschool hours as well, when she teaches for the Florida Crown program.
When she was told she had been chosen as the Teacher of the Year (T.O.Y.) for UCHS she said she was “surprised and honored.” She said, “it makes you think about the relationships with the people that you work with and how they are valued.” Over the past 22 years, Worthington has pursued her passion for teaching. This is the first time she has been selected as a T.O.Y. She said, “I feel honored and appreciate that I am being allowed to represent UCHS as Teacher of the Year 2021.”
When asked what her future plans might be, she stated firmly that she was planning to keep on teaching for the rest of her working life.
