Second grade teacher Raven Brooks of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, has earned a prestigious 2021-2022 Milken Educator Award. Photo Credit: Milken Family Foundation
I always enjoy sharing an inspirational story about a talented educator who has earned accolades for work in the classroom. Today’s story is about elementary school teacher Raeven Brooks from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, who has garnered a prestigious Milken Educator Award for 2021-2022.
Raeven teaches second grade at Black Fox Elementary school in Murfreesboro, the same school she attended when she was a child. In Raeven’s classroom, every learner is fully engaged in high-level which emphasize reasoning and problem-solving. In addition, she runs an intervention math group for students who are one or more years behind grade level. During the pandemic, Raven worked with a colleague to create a camping-themed video lesson incorporating reading and writing skills. The lesson was televised on Murfreesboro City TV for students who were engaged in remote learning.
In addition to her work in the classroom, Raeven co-leads and coordinates district-level data analysis for the school’s Response to Instruction and Intervention-Behavior (RTI2-B) team. She also helps recruit new teachers with the Job Fair team, she mentors new teachers in the school and district, and she supervises student teachers from Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU). For two years, she has participated in professional learning workshops through Project Inspire, a joint project of Murfreesboro City Schools and MTSU.
Raven earned a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Middle Tennessee State University in 2015. Currently she is enrolled in the university’s Administration and Supervision Graduate Program.
The Milken Educator Awards have been described by Teacher Magazine as the “Oscars of Teaching.” In addition to a $25,000 cash prize and public recognition, the honor includes membership in the National Milken Educator Network, a group of more than 2,700 exemplary teachers, principals, and specialists from all over the country who work towards strengthening best practices in education. To learn more, click on Milken Educator Awards.
