LUTZ, Fla. — Learning and teaching certainly has not been easy this year across Bay area classrooms.
What You Need To Know
- This week's A+ Teacher: Frank Christensen
- Christensen is a special education teacher at New LEAPS Academy in Lutz
- More A+ Teacher headlines
- Want to suggest an A+ Teacher? Click here
As teachers prepare to go back to classrooms in August, a special teacher at Lutz's New LEAPS Academy is being recognized as an A+ Teacher.
Frank Christensen went above and beyond to help his special education students this past spring as the coronavirus changed student's, parent's and teacher's lives.
Talented and patient with his students, "Mr. Frank" is celebrated by his student's parents.
“Mr. Frank’s been, since day one, he’s been incredible. He’s been incredible," said Maribel Mejil-DelGrosso, whose son Damien is in Christensen's class. “He’s definitely an A+ teacher!”
And parents say with it being such a small school, Christensen makes a big difference.
“I like how he helps me and how he likes his students," said Damian DelGrosso.
Damian, who has been diagnosed with autism, has been in Christensen's class since last year and has already gone up three grade levels.
During the beginning of the pandemic, Christensen called students and posted encouraging videos, bringing components from class into their homes.
"One of the big things is just patience, slowing down, taking things slow enough, repeating, encouraging, a lot of encouragement," Christensen said. "And just trying to keep that whole atmosphere."