by Jen Myers

(Each month, Wellpoint, InsideLowell and Lowell Public Schools honor a Lowell teacher for their exemplary work in the classroom and for going the extra mile to serve as a positive influence in the lives of their students. Wellpoint also awards each honoree a $250 gift card to be used for school supplies)

Stepping into Emily Savastano’s second grade classroom at the Bailey Elementary School is like being pulled through a portal into your favorite children’s show. 

Introducing a lesson on animal stories, Savastano brings an excitement and joy that captivates the students, leaving them excited to dive in. Every student is focused on her and ready to be part of whatever is about to happen. 

As they begin discussing the differences between non-fiction and fiction books about animals, as well as comparing those fictional animal-driven stories to those about humans, her students are quick to make observations and respond with answers that reflect critical thinking skills beyond their years. 

Savastano’s skills have not gone unnoticed. 

“Emily takes great pride in her practice and is a phenomenal teacher; her classroom is one of joy and her love of teaching shines in everything she does,” said Bailey principal Kimberley Clements. “Emily’s students show growth, perseverance and a love for learning which is something she fosters day in and day out. I love having the chance to spend time in Emily’s class and see her at work.”

Savastano grew up in  Brecksville, Ohio, knowing she wanted to be a teacher. 

“I spent my Kindergarten year drawing pictures for my teacher and pretending to ‘read’ books to my stuffed animals and imaginary students,” she said. “I turned a little storage room in my parents’ basement into a pretend classroom and played school there for my entire elementary school career.  I even had an old overhead projector that I used to ‘teach’ math lessons!”

Savastano said she always felt comfortable connecting with children and she had a desire to help others, which made teaching feel like a natural career path. 

In high school, she participated in the Teaching Professions course, similar to the Education Pathway available for Lowell High School students, which gave her an opportunity for hands-on learning, assistant teaching at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.  

“These experiences allowed me the opportunity to explore my own skillsets and determine which grades and ages would be the best fit for me,” said Savastano.  “Elementary school was for the win, without a doubt!”

She earned a bachelor’s degree in Math with a concentration in Elementary Education from Wheelock College and then a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Simmons College.  

Savastano began her career at the Lowell Community Charter Public School, where she taught for six years, before taking a job at the Greenhalge Elementary School, where she taught for four years. She crossed the river and landed at the Bailey in 2020, during remote learning.  

She has taught both second and third grade, which she said are her favorite ages and grades to teach because the students are at different skill levels in many areas. 

“All of our students in Lowell and at the Bailey have great potential,” she said.  “The challenge is discovering creative ways to unlock their potential and guide them towards success, especially when students may not be as confident in their own abilities.”

This year, Savastrano is learning along with her students as the district incorporates a new literacy curriculum. With the previously used curriculum she said the students’ favorite unit was always the fairytale unit. 

“We did lots of compare and contrast work with the many different cultural versions of Cinderella, observed and jotted about the characteristics of fairytales, read fractured tales, and then even wrote an adaptation of a fairytale,” she said. “With such high engagement, the academic gains we saw throughout this unit were astounding.”

With the new curriculum, it looks like the winning unit may be Bugs in their Ecosystems. 

“Students choose a bug to research and over the course of nine weeks, they became an expert on their bug,” she said. “Students learned about bug classification, ecosystem essentials, adaptations, social vs. solitary life, interdependent relationships, and ecosystem dynamics. Second graders published informational books and completed special bug reports to share with their classmates. Our friends were so proud of their learning and their final projects.”

Savastano says student engagement is the key to classroom success, which starts by creating positive relationships with students and their families. 

“When students feel safe, valued, understood, and supported, their minds become open to most all learning possibilities,” she said. “Their willingness to participate in discussions, take risks in their learning, and become actively engaged in lessons increases tremendously.” 

“Students at the Bailey participate in lots of kinesthetic learning and hands-on activities, academic movement fun, group work, turn and talk opportunities, open discussions, and interactive games,” she added. “We also provide controlled choices where students have opportunities to choose different ways of sharing their knowledge. Academic choice promotes engagement in learning, especially for our students with different learning styles and varying needs and abilities.” 

In her classroom, peak engagement can be observed during read alouds. 

“Read alouds consist of a strong theatrical performance where students express varying reactions to the story being read throughout its entirety,” she said. “The more we change our voices to match the feelings and emotions of the characters, the more engaged students become. Reading together is magical in our classroom for everyone and our stories have taken us to far away places where our imaginations have run free.” 

Savastano is quick to take the spotlight off herself and shine it onto her colleagues, explaining that teaching at the Bailey is truly a team sport from administrators to teachers and paraprofessionals. 

“We are a team who supports each other both professionally and personally,” she said. “Together, we survive and thrive with our humor and our shared passion for making a difference in the lives of our students and their families.”

Savastano hopes that when her students leave second grade and head into third grade and beyond, they take with them some of the lessons and skills she has taught them and emulated for them.

“I’d like them to have acquired the skills needed to be critical thinking, peacemaking problem solvers,” she said. “I’d like them to be able to self regulate, adapt quickly, and communicate respectfully with others. And it’s my hope that my students will always remember to spread kindness, be honest, take responsibility for their words and actions, and to remember the power of forgiveness.” 

All About Ms. Savastano 

Hobbies: Hockey, Hiking, Camping, Family Bike Rides to the Ice Cream Store, and Family Game Nights
Dream Vacation: Disney World with my husband, three kiddos, and our extended family!
Favorite song to sing in the car: Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, Bon Jovi’s ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’, Billy Joel’s ‘Piano Man’ and of course, Neil Diamond’s ‘Sweet Caroline’!
Favorite meal: Spaghetti Dinner – meatballs are a must!
Favorite snack: Popcorn and Goldfish
Favorite Movie: Red and The Expendables (and most any Bruce Willis movie!)
Favorite Book: Charlotte’s Web
Favorite TV Show: Blue Bloods, Virgin River, FireFly Lane, and Stranger Things
Favorite Fictional Character:  Charlotte