Town resident Jackson Bunn is SLE Teacher of the Year for 2018

Jackson Bunn’s ability to inspire and to motivate are felt by all who work with him. He has a sense of fairness, compassion and support which he gives to all. He can be counted upon for any project, no matter the size or significance. Teaching with a passion, encouraging hope in all, respecting and listening to everyone, facilitating learning in the most amazing ways, opening doors to limitless possibilities for students, assisting anyone in all ways possible, and understanding that positive people produce positive results has resulted in Bunn being The Pied Piper of Spanish Lake Elementary (SLE).
Throughout Bunn’s teaching career of 15 years in Miami Dade County, his yearly formal goal in enhancing student learning is to prepare students to sight read music notation from treble clef on melody bells in grade two and on recorders for grades third through fifth. A minimum of 90 percent of his students accomplish this goal by reading simple melodies on the treble staff demonstrating proper instrument technique, posture, and performing the rhythmic and melodic components of the assigned literature. In the student section of his website, www.jacksonbunn.com students visit to practice class assignments from home. Naturally, they are fun, engaging and easy to understand.
Bunn actively and willingly participates in all phases of school life from the Reading Under the Stars, Winter Show, Spring Concert, Talent Show, to writing a new school song and to having students perform outside of school such as at Miami Heat games. He creates arrangements and performs for school ceremonies and local events and sets up sound and video power point for professional development workshops and school events. He is so proud though of the music department students being represented for the past two years at the Superintendent’s Honors Music Festival.
This year he also felt fortunate to be a part of the school’s S.T.E.A.M. panel. For this, he designed important lessons on hearing protection which include how loud music and noise can result in permanent or immediate hearing loss.
Although Bunn hails from a family legacy of teachers, he is most inspired as an educator purely from teaching a child to learn and appreciate music. He’s creating exciting lesson plans, show ideas, instrumental and choral arrangements, leading the school chorus. The bucket drumming group keep him busy and the students happily engaged. In addition to Bunn being a professional teacher, he is a professional musician with his own group, as an accomplished keyboardist and composer.
For his success, credit is readily given by Bunn to his loving wife Ana, his family and friends, SLE principal Jacqueline Arias Gonzalez, his music department, Diane Garcia, Elizabeth Garcia and his entire SLE family. SLE feels blessed to have Bunn as a part of their family!