Photo by Aila Boyd
By Aila Boyd
aboyd@mainstreetnewspapers.com
Editor’s Note: This article marks the fifth Educator of the Month. The honor was created through a partnership between The Herald and Botetourt County Public Schools. Each month, educators throughout the school division have the opportunity to nominate a fellow educator for this honor. An educator, as defined for the purposes of this honor, is anyone who works in the school division and positively impacts the lives of students. Winners are selected based on who receives the most nominations. In order to be nominated, educators have to exhibit at least one of the following: support, high expectations, accountability, consistency, positivity, or grit.
Amber Stevens, a school psychologist who serves students at Colonial Elementary School, Read Mountain Middle School, and Lord Botetourt High School, has been named the Educator of the Month for January.
“I try to do right by the students. I try to figure out the best way that I can serve the students and support them in the school environment,” she said of her goals as a school psychologist.
Originally from Gloucester, Stevens traveled to the western part of the state to obtain her graduate degree from Radford University. “I applied for jobs in this area because most people that live on the eastern part of Virginia love the mountains,” she explained. “I applied for a job in Botetourt and was lucky enough to be accepted.”
She’s currently in the middle of her fifth year working for Botetourt County Public Schools.
Before going to Radford University, she received her undergraduate degree in education from Christopher Newport University. “I always knew that I wanted to work in some aspect of education,” she said, adding that she wasn’t quite sure on the specifics when she entered college. While she was at Christopher Newport, she had the opportunity to work with a school psychologist. “It was at my home school in Gloucester and I just fell in love with school psychology. I realized that it was the route that I wanted to go.”
She spends most of her time counseling with executive functioning skills. When she’s not doing that, she works with students with disabilities or suspected disabilities. In a given year, she makes roughly 90 referrals for students.
Stevens, who is one of three school psychologists in the county, said that because she interacts with students in all grade levels, she tries to comport herself in a way that is appropriate for the age of the specific student that she’s dealing with. “When working with elementary students, I’m much more bubbly and playful. With middle school students, I’m more real with them. When it comes to high school students, you’re basically talking to an adult,” she said.
No matter the age, she said that she loves getting to interact with students.
“With my type of job, we don’t really get the reward aspect of getting to see it finally clicking with students but when we meet these students again, we tell them what’s going on and why they’re struggling to learn. It then starts to click into place for them so that they understand what’s preventing them from learning,” she said. “From there, their strengths and deceits can be addressed,” she said.
For those who are considering a career in education, Stevens said that a passion for working with students is a must. She added that a lot of patience is also required. “It’s a hard job, but it’s also a rewarding job,” she said. “Every day is different, but you get to tackle the challenges together with the students and faculty.”
She added that she wouldn’t be able to do her job without the help and support from the individuals that she works with at the three schools. “I have amazing coworkers,” she said.
“She is extremely knowledgeable in her field. She helps out in the counseling offices in whatever capacity that is necessary. She works collaboratively with all staff. She is known for her artistic ability and helps to create beautiful bulletin boards,” Dr. Lisa Chen, superintendent, said of Stevens.
Photo by Aila Boyd
