Paramus Teacher Awarded Bergen County Teacher Of The Year

PARAMUS, NJ — While teaching virtually from home during the pandemic, Kim Clancey's family thought she was crazy when she dressed up as Willy Wonka and a fairy princess for her second grade students. But, according to principal Jeanine Nostrame, this commitment to teaching and creating a fun learning environment is exactly what landed Clancey the Bergen County Teacher of the Year award.

Clancey, a second grade teacher at Ridge Ranch , was recently named Bergen County Teacher of the Year at the County Teacher of the Year Virtual Award Ceremony on August 25. Clancey was one of 21 New Jersey teachers to obtain this distinction.

Nostrame — principal of Ridge Ranch Elementary — said Clancey stood out among other teachers because of her creative teaching style and her passion for education. When there was a unit on studying plant life, Nostrame said Clancey created a unit called “plantsapalooza” where students researched different plants and grew some of their own. Parents and other students were then invited to view their plant museum, which allowed students to show off the work they had done.

“She's just an extremely creative teacher so that makes kids enjoy learning,” Nostrame said.

Nostrame added that Clancey is an observational teacher and caters specifically to different students’ needs.

“She observes students and really figures out what makes them learn best,” Nostrame said. “She figures out where their strengths and weaknesses are, and then she individualizes her instruction, so the students get exactly what they need. And on top of that, she makes learning so much fun. She's just really an exemplary teacher.”

Even as Ridge Ranch transitioned to online learning during the pandemic, Nostrame said Clancey rose to the occasion.

“It was funny because when we had our faculty meeting, I said, ‘only Mrs. Clancey could be elected teacher of the year in the middle of a pandemic.’ She’s just the type of person who sees opportunities instead of obstacles,” Nostrame said.

Clancey utilized virtual learning as an opportunity to meet with students in smaller groups and create an individualized learning environment. Nostrame said there were days Clancey would dress up as Willy Wonka or a fairy princess for her virtual classes because she taught a unit on fairy tales, and she was committed to maximizing the online learning experience the best she could.

In addition to teaching second grade, Clancey is also a subject area expert on literacy and is one of the district’s literacy coaches. She has shared her expertise at the Paramus Summer Institutes and the Lit-Together Teacher Leadership Program. Nostrame said Clancey is a gifted writer herself and an even more gifted writing teacher.

Governor Phil Murphy spoke with Clancey and congratulated her on receiving the award. She is also now in the running to be selected as New Jersey State Teacher of the Year. A panel of educators will select the teacher of the year from the 21 County Teachers of the Year based on written applications, video submissions and interviews with the top finalists. This recognition is usually announced at the State Board of Education’s October meeting and will go on to represent New Jersey in competing for the title of National Teacher of the Year.

On top of being a teacher in the Paramus School District, Clancey is also the Professional Development Facilitator at Ridge Ranch. She received her master’s degree in elementary education from Long Island University with a 4.0 grade point average and has experience teaching kindergarten, second and fourth grade.