Heather Povinelli

Heather Povinelli is a second-grade teacher in the Monrovia Unified
School District. Dr. Povinelli teaches at Bradoaks Elementary Science
Academy, where she is constantly inspired by watching her students learn
to exceed their own expectations of themselves. As someone who has
dwarfism, Dr. Povinelli uses her own disability as an opportunity to teach
students about inclusion, equity, and belief in oneself.

Dr. Povinelli believes that accommodations, thinking outside-the-box, and
using an asset lens are necessary elements for equity in the classroom. To
this end, she was inspired to create a living inclusion practice. Her day with
her seven and eight-year old students “starts outside her classroom,” she
says, “with exercises so that their bodies help their minds get ready for the
day ahead.”

During instruction, Dr. Povinelli uses techniques where she calls on many
students at a time, instead of one, to keep engagement high. She also finds
that routines provide students comfort, especially for neurodivergent
students. She makes sure that collaboration is a key part of their process.
Colleagues are quick to point out that Dr. Povinelli is highly skilled at
assessing learning outcomes and using the data to improve student
achievement.

In her doctoral dissertation, Dr. Povinelli published suggestions for teachers
who want to create more inclusive classrooms, one of which was to replace
discipline systems with relationships. “I practice this by intentionally
carving out time to listen to students, letting them get to know me, and
setting up safe and caring environments.”

She adds, “My classroom is soft and squishy with high expectations.
Students know I value them where they are, because learning is a process,
not an end game. At the same time, I expect growth. When you walk into
my class, I hope you don’t notice me. You will see me, but I hope you
notice the stars of the show, the leaders, the students.”