Madilin Gangelhoff, a middle school English literature teacher at St. John Lutheran School in Ocala, has been selected as a Florida Credit Union/Ocala Star Banner Amazing Teacher of the Month.
“I enjoy building relationships with the middle school students,” Gangelhoff wrote in an email following the selection.
Gangelhoff, currently teaching 7th grade, asks her students many questions to draw out their thoughts about the day’s lesson.
A sampling of written comments submitted by some of Gangelhoff’s current or former students are a testament to her dedication.
“Mrs. Gangelhoff is the best teacher because she is reasonable and understands you,” wrote one unidentified student.
Scarlett, also a class member, wrote that she has “learned so much from (Gangelhoff)
and this class.”
“When I first started sixth grade, I didn’t love literature, but it is one of my favorite classes now,” Scarlette wrote.
Scarlett called Gangelhoff a “friend” and wrote: “I can talk to her.”
Lola, another student, wrote that Gangelhoff “cares for students” and makes “people laugh.”
Student Lizzie gave “five words to describe Mrs. Gangelhoff: kind, loving, caring, pretty and fair.”
Gangelhoff, a native of Manhattan, New York, moved to the Ocala area in 2010. She began her teaching career in 2014 with the first grade and remained at that grade level for six years.
Gangelhoff came to St. John Lutheran in 2020, where she has since taught middle school grades: 6th, 7th or 8th.
Gangelhoff said she is inspired by the middle school students’ “love of learning” and she in turn works to inspire them with the works of authors like Wilson Rawls and Corrie Ten Boom.
Gangelhoff‘s classroom walls are decorated with portraits and copies of lines from the works of authors like C.S. Lewis, Jack London and John Boyne.
A quote from C.S. Lewis on display in the classroom reads: “We are what we believe we are.”
Gangelhoff usually incorporates God and faith into her teaching lesson plans.
“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God” is a phrase she has employed.
Gangelhoff strives to involve her students and make them feel part of the discussion.
“Any question is important (and) your opinion is valuable. You don’t need a search engine to speak for you,” Gangelhoff tells her students.
Gangelhoff commented on how her students reacted when she took an 8th grade class on an annual field trip to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.
“The visual aspect of the Holocaust made the students feel emotional enough to cry,” she stated.
The Amazing Teacher program, sponsored by Florida Credit Union in partnership with the Ocala Star-Banner, is a celebration of educators whose compassion, creativity and dedication inspire us all. Local teachers are selected monthly. They are recognized locally and are eligible for national level recognition and prizes. These stories are produced by the newsroom. Do you know an amazing teacher? Nominating one is easy. Just visit ocala.gannettcontests.com/Florida-Credit-Union-Amazing-Teachers
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Meet the Star-Banner/Florida Credit Union Amazing Teacher of the Month: Madilin Gangelhoff
