Samantha Havens Shares Love of Music

You might say that Samantha Havens is the Dale R. Fair Babson Park Elementary School Teacher of the Year because she hits all the right notes.

Now in her ninth year at the Lake Wales Charter System, the school's music teacher earned a bachelor's in music education from Warner University in 2010, where she was inspired by Dr. Steven Darr.

"Dr. Darr taught me that if you want something to be spectacular, then you need to put in the time and effort," Havens noted. "He is passionate about what he does and I hope that I can share my passion and love for music with my students, just like he did when I was his student."

Teaching, she said, runs in the family, so becoming an educator was an easy decision.

"I love the look on a student's face when they finally play that song correct or when they started to feel the music," she said. "Nothing brings me greater joy than to spend time with my students."

She also credited her middle and high school music teacher, Rich Hayes, as being a beacon on her classroom trip.

"He not only taught me how to read and sing, but more importantly he taught me how to work hard and achieve goals that seemed unattainable," she added.

Havens is in the unique position of not only seeing her students' successes, but hearing them as well.

"A good day in my classroom would start with my classes coming in with a smile or kind words. I love putting instruments in my students' hands and watching them explore new sounds," she added. "A good day would consist of laughter, hugs, smiles, and fun. I love watching their faces light up when they finally play the song right, or identify the notes on the staff, or finally get the concept at hand."