The Teachers Who See the Whole Child
Mrs. White Valleyview Elementary
Great teachers do more than deliver lessons — they see the whole child. They notice the quirks, the humor, the challenges, and the spark that make each student unique. And most importantly, they find ways to nurture all of it.
One parent recently shared a nomination that captures exactly that:
"Hey friend, I want to nominate Mrs. White at Valley View Elementary in BSD. She is a GATE teacher, so she had my kid for two years. The first day with her, he came home and said, ‘I like her, she’s funny,’ and I knew she would be great.
My kid is one who often gets the feedback of ‘he blurts out, he chatters a lot, and socializes during inappropriate times (like during instruction).’ He still got that feedback from her, but she’d also write things like ‘he really lightens the mood for his classmates,’ ‘he loves to make his friends laugh,’ and ‘we really appreciate his sense of humor.’
I feel like my kid was really seen by her. Beyond that, she’s an amazing communicator and meets kids where they are. I’m sad to move on from her but appreciate our time with her. She genuinely loves her students and you can see it regularly." – Christy
In a world where it’s easy to focus on fixing flaws, Mrs. White reminded her student — and his family — that the same traits that might be “disruptive” at times can also be a gift. She made sure her students knew they were appreciated, valued, and loved exactly as they are.
Meet Mrs. White
Mrs. White’s path to teaching has taken her from snowy Buffalo, New York, to the bright lights of Las Vegas, to Virginia, and finally to her dream job right here in Boise. Born and raised in Buffalo — the land of wings, pizza, football, hockey, and winters that build character — she grew up watching the Buffalo Bills, playing clarinet in the marching band, and riding horses.
She earned her Bachelor of Science in Childhood Education with a minor in Geology from the State University of New York at Geneseo, where she discovered a passion for gifted education. This led to a Master of Education in Gifted and Differentiated Instruction from Canisius College.
Mrs. White has taught gifted students in multiple states, nine years as a GATE pull-out teacher in Las Vegas, a year as a Gifted Resource Teacher in Virginia, and now as a Gifted Classroom Teacher at Valley View Elementary. In her free time, she loves hiking in the foothills with her husband and pup, attending plays at the Idaho Shakespeare Festival, gardening, baking, reading, and biking the Greenbelt.
The Treasure Valley is lucky to have a teacher who not only understands the needs of gifted students, but who also makes them feel truly seen.
If you know a teacher like Mrs. White ,one who sees the whole child and celebrates them for exactly who they are , we want to hear their story. Nominate your Treasure Valley teacher hero today.
