Teacher of the Year: Students share thoughts on how Ast earned honor

It's not every day your teacher wins the honor of the school district's teacher of the year, and no one was more proud of Bryan Elementary School first grade teacher Christy Ast than her students.

The district's teacher of the year is selected from those nominated by their peers, all of whom contribute in many ways.

Ast has been teaching elementary school students for 17 years -- 14 of them in the El Dorado Springs school district, the last three at Nevada.

A reception in honor of Teacher of the Year Christy Ast, a first grade teacher at Bryan Elementary, was held at Truman Elementary April 25, hosted by the Nevada R-5 Community Teachers Association. Teachers are nominated for the honor and selected by a committee. Other Nevada R-5 Teacher of the Year nominees are: Back row: Amanda Eaton, Debra Price, Tina Sudkamp, Crystal Burch and Amy Hemphill. Front row: Jackie Shadden, Erin McCullough, Traci Cliffman, Christy Ast, Rebecca Keltner and Myra Bond. Not pictured, Teresa Prewitt. Lynn A. Wade/Daily Mail.

At an April 25 reception her acceptance was short, simply in the form of a big "thank-you" to all who had supported her, without whom she said she would not be able to do the things she does.

She became a teacher, she said, because "I love kids. I love teaching. I love the look they get when they 'get it,' like when they start learning to read, when it makes sense," Ast said.

And it's clear that they love her, too.

The Daily Mail asked each of her students why their teacher is Teacher of the Year; and they cited many things about her classroom that make learning fun, like a project for the 100th day of school in which the students had to find candy kisses, numbered from 1 to 100, in the classroom. Here's what each of them had to say:

Desi Minor said, "She lets us go outside. She takes care of us."

Gabby Whittemore said. "Mrs. Ast helps us learn."

Drew Beachler said, "She helps us read and write;" which, Drew added can be "kinda hard but it isn't hard when Mrs. Ast makes it fun."

Alissa Stutesman said, "We get to go outside."

Brinley Jones said, "She gives us special treats" after testing.

Felicity Newberry said, "Because she's the nicest teacher ever."

Skylur Mashek said. "She's fun."

Lexis Brewer said, "Because she's the bestest teacher in the whole school."

Kirstin Buck said, "She helps us learn."

Addison Starbuck, said, "She helps us learn by reading and writing."

Daylan Harth said, "She takes care of us."

Zoey Leer said, "She lets us play on the Wii." The children played "Let's Dance" after meeting a classroom goal.

Tyler Vance: "She teaches us about all different things;" and she still loves them, even when they make a mistake, he said.

Tyra Smith said, "She's fun."

Michael Gardner said, "Mrs. Ast teaches us to read, write, to spell stuff right: she teaches us what things are called."

Emma Beckman said, "She's the best teacher ever."

Charles Irwin says she's let him go on the computer as part of a writing workshop, to do research.

Allie Rains said, "She lets us do fun stuff."

Brayden Koenig said, "She teaches us in a fun way. And she has the best students, ever!"