Henrico's Top Teachers – Sabina Levy

As a fifth-grade teacher at Gayton Elementary, she's known for her math prowess and a never-ending willingness to assist any student in need – whether one of her own or not.

As a volunteer with the Hickory Hill K-9 Rescue, she has spent years providing love and foster care to dogs who need help.

It's not coincidental that her personality and demeanor is well-suited to both.

"It's about having patience and just trying to understand both children and animals as individuals, if you will, because they're all so different," Levy said. "At the rescue [shelter], I've worked with different dogs who all need different things. Some needed to be walked, some just needed to stand patiently and wait.

"With children it's kind of the same thing – trying to find that niche for that child."

Levy's career of choice was never in doubt; her mom taught for years (mostly first grade), and it made an immediate impact on Levy. Her own career now has spanned 29 years – the first 11 in Blacksburg and the last 18 at Gayton.

Though her focus is on math – she teaches three classes of the subject as part of Gayton's fifth-grade rotation format, in which students move between different teachers each day – Levy also teaches some English and reading. To engage students who might otherwise not enjoy math, she uses a practical approach.

"I just want them to be independent thinkers," she said, "to be able to solve those every day problems that arise, to know 'What do I need to buy and how do I buy it?'

"When the children see the connection and how [math] is used, then they buy in more than if they don't think they're ever going to use it again in their lifetime."

Levy enjoys working with students who are on the cusp of their middle school years because she's able to relate to them well, and they're old enough to pick up on her sarcasm, she said.

She spends much time tutoring students after the school day is done, and the impact is clear.

"She was a savior to our daughter," one parent wrote in nomination letter. "She helped build her confidence and helped her enjoy math again. She now makes mostly As in math. Most of the students [she tutors] come out with better grades and stay on track. She uses her own time away from the classroom to help any student with needs in math and help build their confidence for the future."