Traditionally, a 10th-anniversary gift is aluminum or tin, representing the flexibility and durability it takes to stick with anything for a decade.
But for William Allen Middle School (WAMS) teacher Caisse Gore, her 10th year of teaching was met with humbled awe upon finding out that she had been nominated for a LifeChanger of the Year Award.
“When I found out, I sat there for a minute like, ‘Really? Me? I can’t even believe that someone thinks of me in this way!’” Gore laughed. “It was really nice because teaching can be very rewarding but it’s also taxing. I feel so blessed to be nominated.”
LifeChanger of the Year annually recognizes K-12 teachers and school employees across the U.S. who strive to make a positive impact on students’ lives. According to fellow WAMS teacher Spring Williams, Gore exemplifies the warmth, devotion and compassion that the award celebrates.
“She’s one of the those teachers who gets students to do what she knows they can do, even if they don’t know they can do it yet,” said Williams, who nominated her coworker for the award.
Beyond the eighth-grade language arts curriculum that Gore teaches, she feels it’s imperative that the blossoming young adults in her care also feel emotionally nurtured, and it starts with bolstering their self-esteem.
“The biggest thing for me is helping my students have confidence in themselves — my go-to quote is ‘You command this room,’” said Gore. “I try to tell them that they’re amazing, they’re phenomenal, they can do anything. That’s what I want them to walk away with: confidence in who they are, their abilities and their beliefs.”
Both Gore and Williams are sensitive to how middle school can be an awkward, challenging time for students who feel torn between childhood and adolescence. Williams appreciates how difficult it is to cultivate confidence in pre-teens learning to navigate their social lives while developing their individuality and still keeping an eye on their schoolwork.
“In middle school, students are in transition, and it’s our job to make sure that they still strive for academic excellence when there’s so much going on,” Williams said. “Students feel comfortable around Caisse, and they know that they’ll have to work hard for her, she won’t show them any favoritism—and that she’s going to pull at their strengths, build up their confidence and know what’s happening in their lives. In the seventh-graders I’ve taught who get her as an eighth-grade teacher, I have absolutely seen growth and positive changes in them.”
Gore attributes her desire to become a teacher as something deeply rooted in her upbringing. From working with children at her church’s daycare as a teenager to her own mother’s role as a dedicated foster parent, Gore has “always been around lots of kids and just loved it.”
In fact, she has followed her mother’s example, as Gore and her husband have seven children of their own, one of whom began as a student of hers who was removed from an unhealthy environment and had no place to live until Gore stepped in.
“The icing on the cake is that we had a student who had some troubles at home, Caisse took him in — and now he’s a Gore,” Williams said. “She is such a maternal force, and I think that’s what allows her students to feel like they’re in a safe place with her and feel at home in her classroom.”
Gore revels in her reputation, and loves that so many of her students gravitate to the maternal support she offers.
“It’s just a natural role for me, since I get really attached to my students,” she explained. “I genuinely care about these kids and want them to grow as individuals — not just in reading and writing, but as people. I try to teach them life skills, help them make good decisions and lead with compassion. Most of the time, it’s very well received.”
The rewards of her teaching philosophy are evidenced by her alumni’s attachment to her.
“A moment that still gives me chills is when I went to the homecoming football game at the high school maybe three years ago: As I was walking to the center of the stands with my own children, I literally got rushed by about 50 kids who were just like, ‘Oh my God, Mrs. Gore!’ and were so excited to see me,” she said. “And that, to me, is why I’m here: I just want to make an impact and a difference in my students’ lives.”
Gore credits being able to be the “Teacher Mom” she strives to be to the support she receives at WAMS, particularly from Principal Matthew Keith, who she says gives her “that faith and confidence that I try to give to my students.”
And, of course, she is grateful to her students for teaching her how to be the positive role model she wants to be in the way they need her to be.
“You learn as you go that teaching has to be flexible, that every student learns differently,” Gore said. “But the biggest thing I’ve learned from them is that if they know you genuinely care about them, they will produce for you like no other. They need to feel that I appreciate who they are every single day, not just for those 50 minutes of class. I’ve learned that they still need compassion and nurturing at this age, so I try to give them that, even if it’s just 30 seconds of asking about this game or checking in about grandma’s birthday party over the weekend — that stuff means the most to these kids.”
