KEYSER - Teacher Amber Myers of Keyser sits at a table in the art room at the Catamount Children's Center flanked by two of her students, 4-year-old Alec Stanislawczyk and her son, 3-year-old Joel Myers.

With her arms outstretched in opposite directions, she holds a modeling clay snowman in each hand, steadying the tiny creations while the youngsters intently paint them snow white and bright blue.

When the two budding artists are finished with their creations, the snowmen are well-painted, as are the paper plates on which they sit and Myers' fingers.

The pre-K teacher does not mind a little paint, however. The look of excitement on the faces of the youngsters is enough to keep reminding her why she does what she does.

"I've always wanted to do this, ever since I was a little girl and I used to play school all the time," she said during a rare break in working with the children.

"What really makes it worthwhile is the look on their faces when they realize they've learned something."

As if to punctuate her statement, one of Myers' smiling young charges says "Look!" right at that moment, holding her outstretched - and very blue - hand for Myers to see.

"There's just a light that comes on .... just like that," Myers said.

"Their creativity at this age, and willingness to try anything and explore anything, it's just wonderful," she said.

It was Myers' willingness to explore as a teacher that has brought her recognition on a national level.

"I was looking for grants on the Internet, and I went to the NAEYC Web site," she said, referring to the National Association for the Education of Young Children, of which she is a member.

She learned about the Terri Lynne Lokoff/Children's Ty-lenol National Child Care Teacher Award program, which recognizes the best early childhood teachers from throughout the country.

In order to participate, she was required to design a project that would not only assist the students in learning certain skills, but would produce something that would enhance their classroom.

"It had to demonstrate educational, social and emotional benefits for the children," Myers said. "The project also had to illustrate the critical role of the teacher."

She chose literacy quilts and homemade picture books.

After reading several stories dealing with the fall season and Thanksgiving, the students created a turkey quilt out of paper, and followed that with a winter-based quilt, also made of paper. That creation, which hangs in the classroom, features a number of train engines bearing the pictures of the students as "engineers."

"We're reading certain books and relating the quilts to the books," Myers said, explaining that the winter quilt is based on the classic storybook "The Polar Express."

The third quilt, which they are working on, features snowmen.

Once the quilts are completed and placed on display for the parents to enjoy, each piece will be disassembled and the squares compiled into a picture book for each of the students.

As one of 54 teachers chosen to be recognized for her exemplary efforts, Myers will receive a $1,000 grant that she will funnel back into the quilt project.

"She's going to use the money to buy three digital cameras for the class," said Gina Raschella, director of the Catamount Children's Center.

"She's going to use the photos on a quilt."

Calling the award "a really big deal," Raschella said the recognition places Myers in the running for the Helene Marks National Child Care Teacher of the Year.

"She is just an outstanding teacher," she said. "She goes above and beyond to enhance her classes for the benefit of the kids.

"I'm just really proud of her."

Myers, who has been teaching at the Catamount Children's Center for almost seven years, has worked with the pre-K students for the past five years.

She holds an associate degree in early childhood education from Potomac State College and a regent's degree with an emphasis in child development from West Virginia University.

She is working on a master's degree in early childhood and elementary education and a second master's in early interventions - both from WVU.

She also holds Three-Star Directors Credentials from WVU.

Contact Liz Beavers at lbeavers@times-news.com.