Rhode Island’s Elizabeth Russillo has been named her state’s Teacher of the Year.

I enjoy sharing stories about teachers who have earned accolades for their hard work in the classroom. One of these is Elizabeth Russillo, who has been named the Rhode Island’s State Teacher of the Year.

Elizabeth teaches chemistry at Smithfield Senior High School in Smithfield, Rhode Island. She has worked there since 2002. For the past ten years, this talented educator has been the chairperson of the school’s Science Department. In this role, she has developed innovative programs in her classroom. She even created a website with resources for blended and personalized learning. In addition to her classroom duties, Elizabeth has served her school as the Freshman Mentor Adviser, Student Council Coordinator, and tennis coach.

Elizabeth has made contributions to the educational community outside of her classroom. She has created videos teaching professional development to educators who wish to use technology in their classrooms. She has also worked with the Rhode Island Department of Education as a Rhode Island Learning Champion, helping to revise state graduation standards and rubrics. As an EdPrep fellow, she worked to improve educational pathways for future teachers. She writes regularly on the teaching profession and has served as a learning coach for educators around her state as a Highlander Institute Fuse Fellow.

In addition to her State Teacher of the Year honors, Elizabeth was named Smithfield Teacher of the Year in 2018, an honor that was symbolized with a Crystal Owl in honor of this distinction. Horace Mann recognizes educators for their outstanding work or a significant achievement in teaching.

To read more about this exemplary educator, follow this link to a story in the Providence Journal.