A creative teaching style and a positive upbeat attitude have earned a middle school maths teacher and a pre-school teacher the annual Teacher of the Year awards.

At the Bermuda Union of Teachers annual conference yesterday Dejuanna Burrows, a teacher at Spice Valley Middle School, and Kim DeSilva, a teacher at the Southampton Pre-School, walked across the stage to rounds of applause as they received their awards.

Students, colleagues, and members of the public nominate teachers they believe are deserving of the recognition every year.

Both teachers have a hands-on classroom attitude, often using music, movement, and even shaving cream to inspire their students to learn. Ms Burrows, who has been a teacher for 27 years, and Mrs. DeSilva, who has taught primary and pre-school for 16 years, were teary eyed yesterday when they received recognition for their hard work and commitment.

Ms Burrows said a lot of students have "math phobia" so she uses music and movement in her classroom to capture her pupils attention and interest.

"I'm honoured to receive the award," said Mrs. Burrows. "I try to go in and do my best on behalf of my students and I'm humbled by being considered for this position."

Mrs. DeSilva said she was honoured and overwhelmed to win the award. "I feel excited to go to work everyday, I look at my students as my second family and I try to build relationships with their family to lay the foundation for them to succeed. I have also tried to think of them and not me, and to make my classroom a place where they can learn and a place where they feel loved and valued."

Instead of keeping her young students indoors with their nose buried in a book, Ms DeSilva often takes them outdoors for sports, and science activities that appeal to visual learners.

"When you see the light bulb go on its a reason to celebrate," said Ms DeSilva.

Ms Burrows also has an adaptable teaching style which she believes has made her deserving of the reward.

"You have to motivate them and encourage them to want to be a part of the learning," she said. "I like to see that sparkle in their eyes when you know they have learned something and they are enjoying it."

And instead of giving her students time to get into mischief Ms Burrows runs a well-structured classroom so they are always busy with schoolwork or projects.

"We have to allow them to get up, move their hands, to use auditory, visual and touch to learn and as teachers we have to be willing to change our style and present the information in a different format to teach to students with different strengths."

As the Maths Learning Support Teacher and as a Middle School Team Leader Ms Burrows wears many hats, but she said teachers must also take on the additional role of surrogate parent.

"I've got to uplift them, teachers wear so many hats these days ? we have to nurture our students to help educate them. There's challenges in terms of the family structure and with the media and influences which are not always positive on young people."

Ms DeSilva was also praised by parents for her ability to integrate a student with a vision problem and help him progress throughout the year. The parents of this student said she was a remarkable teacher and one who was kind, caring, creative and took the extra time to get to know her pupils well.

A letter sent by the parents states: "She never made him feel that he was different than anyone else but always treated him as one of the members of her class. She is a teacher that includes everyone in the learning process. Her classroom is run along the model of inclusion ad every child is important and therefore can learn."