Tag Archives: Elementary Teachers

Aimee Couto recognized as Rhode Island’s 2024 Teacher of the Year

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Rhode Island elementary school teacher  Aimee Couto has been named her state’s 2024 Teacher of the Year. Photo Credit: University of Rhode Island

It is always my pleasure to shine a spotlight on exceptional educators who have earned recognition for their work with young people. One of these is Aimee Couto, an elementary school teacher from Rhode Island. She has been named her state’s 2024 Teacher of the Year.

Aimée teaches first grade at Emma G. Whiteknact School located in East Providence, Rhode Island. She has been teaching there for the past 13 years. In her classroom, she is a strong advocate for project-based learning and the development of competent reading practices.

In addition to her work with first graders, the honored educator serves as a teacher leader on her campus and within her district. She helps guide several programs centered around positive social and emotional development at Whiteknact, she serves on the school improvement team, and she is her district’s facilitator for the Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) program.

Aimee was raised in a military family, which means that as a child she frequently moved all over the United States. She has lived in the states of Alaska, Hawaii, Nebraska, and New Hampshire, to name just a few. As a youngster, Aimee was considered a struggling reader. “Because we moved every two or three years, I always struggled with reading,” Aimee confesses. “As I have studied and taken many courses about the science of reading, I have come to realize that my teachers didn’t have the knowledge to help me progress, especially when it came to those frequent family moves. It’s why it’s so important that we come up with a national right-to-read act so we are all on the same page,” she declares. Today, Aimee has developed a classroom curriculum that fosters strong reading skills for her young students.

Aimee earned her Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from the University of Rhode Island in 1996, and a second Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Rhode Island College.

To read more about Aimee Couto, click on this link to an article about her published by the University of Rhode Island.

FL STEM educator Dr. Caryn Long inducted into the 2023 National Teachers Hall of Fame

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Congratulations to STEM educator Dr. Caryn Long of Florida. She has been inducted into the 2023 National Teachers Hall of Fame. Photo Credit: National Teacher Hall of Fame

Hearty congratulations are due to STEM educator Dr. Caryn Long of Clermont, Florida. She has been inducted into the 2023 Class of the National Teachers Hall of Fame (NTHF).

Caryn serves as a Specialist in Educational Technology Innovation and STEM integration at Montverde Academy in Clermont, Florida. Previously, she taught STEM subjects in public elementary schools in Charlotte, North Carolina, and STEM for all grade levels at NASA. Her career as an educator spans 34 years.

The honored educator says in her classroom she strives to achieve two goals: Students should love learning more than they did in previous years, and they should improve their overall attitude about learning. “I’ve often described my classroom as controlled chaos,” declares Caryn. “We dance to music allowing the kids ways to transfer complex science knowledge into long-term memory. They lean over tables and answer various levels of questions that scaffold on previous understanding,” she continues. “Providing diverse role models in the science fields is a crucial part of my kids’ education. Throughout the year, they speak to experts from NASA, NOAA, Boeing, and other agencies/businesses that can bring real world connections to the concepts they are developing,” she describes.

Caryn’s selection by the NTHF is not the only recognition she has earned. In 2021, she was named Montverde Academy Middle School Teacher of the Year. In 2019, she became a Space Educator Ambassador for the National Space Foundation, and the same year she was selected Florida’s Air Force Association STEM Teacher of the Year. In 2002, Caryn was honored as the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator, and in 2001, she was named the Distinguished Teacher of the Year by the NSTA. In 2000, she was named a Eleanor Roosevelt Teacher Fellow.

Caryn earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Queens University of Charlotte in 1988. She earned her Master’s degree in Elementary Education from the University of North Carolina in 1990. She completed the requirements for her PhD in Educational/Instructional Technology from Oklahoma State University in 2015.

The National Teachers Hall of Fame was founded in Emporia, Kansas, in 1989. Since the inaugural induction ceremonies in 1992, 150 educators from 41 states and the District of Columbia have been inducted. To learn more, click on this link to the NTHF.

WY teacher Jamie Keisel named 2023 Educator of the Year by WAIC

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Elementary school teacher Jamie Keisel has been named the 2023 Educator of the Year by Wyoming Agriculture in the Classroom. Photo credit: Wyoming Agriculture in the Classroom

I am always excited to share the story of an outstanding educator who has earned recognition for their work in the classroom. Today, I share the story of Jamie Keisel, an elementary school teacher from Wyoming who has been named the 2023 Educator of the Year by the organization Wyoming Agriculture in the Classroom (WAIC).

Jamie teaches third graders at Greybull Elementary School in Greybull. To supplement her lessons in responsible agricultural stewardship, she organizes guest speakers from the Wyoming Game & Fish Department, the Conservation District, and the agricultural community. In addition, she asks her students to write letters to local ranchers asking about their stewardship practices before taking a field trip to see the ranch in person. She also leads lessons from both the Agriculture and Outdoor Recreation and Tourism units.

“Jamie teaches our students to be good stewards of the land through her own examples and stories about the land and livestock that she takes care of in her own life,” says fellow teacher Misty Hernandez. “When the students can see real-life connections from her, it increases their buy-in to what she is teaching. Jamie truly loves teaching our students about agriculture in Wyoming and how to take care of our land and resources,” Misty continues.

The honored educator is not only active on her school campus, but also in her local community. She has been involved with writing, revising, and teaching the Wyoming Stewardship Project, and she participates in the annual Bookmark & Beyond contest.

The Educator of the Year program recognizes an outstanding elementary educator who demonstrates excellence in education by implementing innovative agriculture, minerals and energy, and outdoor recreation and tourism projects into their classroom and the surrounding community. A committee then selects one educator from the nominees is then awarded a cash prize of $2,500. To learn more about the program, click on this link to WAIC.

Teacher Giovanna Margalli recognized by MN State Dept. of Education

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Elementary school teacher Giovanna Margalli of Edina, Minnesota, has been recognized as one of the best teachers in her state. Photo credit: Education Minnesota

The Minnesota State Department of Education recognized several teachers they consider to be the best in the state last April. One of them is Giovanna Margalli. She was one of eleven teachers throughout Minnesota who were named finalists for their 2023 State Teacher of the Year.

Giovanna a fourth grade teacher at Cornelia Elementary School located in Edina, Minnesota.

“Teaching is complicated and messy, but hidden within the mess are the most beautiful moments of connection. And being a part of those moments is why I teach,” declares Giovanna.

Congratulations, Giovanna!

 

NM elem teacher Magali Gomez garners 2023—2024 Milken Educator Award

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Elementary school teacher Magali Gomez of New Mexico garners prestigious 2023—2024 Milken Educator Award. Photo credit: Milken Educator Awards

There are many excellent public school teachers who deserve recognition. One of them is Magali Gomez of Deming, New Mexico. She has garnered a prestigious 2023—2024 Milken Educator Award.

Magali teaches fifth graders at Ruben S. Torres Elementary School. In her classroom, she emphasizes project-based learning in her curriculum. For example, she teaches her students how to use data-trackers to chart their own growth as they learn new sight words; incorporates color-coded strategies for teaching math; and teaches communications skills through a hands-on journalism project that encourages students to use data-driven journalism techniques to inform their writing.

And the results of Magali’s efforts are measurable. “Her ability to adapt the latest evidence-based teaching models to relatable lessons for her students has produced tremendous academic achievement growth in reading, math, and language,” declares Dr. Arsenio Romero, New Mexico Secretary of Public Education.

Magali’s leadership extends beyond her classroom, into the school campus and the local community. She is viewed as a leader and mentor among her colleagues. She also serves as a court-appointed advocate for foster children; an honorary board member of Playsharity, a hands-on children’s museum; and an adjunct professor in social work at Western New Mexico University. As if all the were not enough, she often helps non-native English speakers with taxes or benefit applications, she cares for the homeless, and she helps migrant families adjust to their new lives in Deming.

Magali earned her Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Western New Mexico University in 2012. She earned a Master’s degree in Social Work in 2017 and a second Master’s degree in the Art of Teaching in 2021, both from the same university.

Teacher Magazine has described the Milken Educator Awards 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 3,000 exemplary teachers, principals, and specialists from all over the country who work together to strengthen best practices in education. To learn more, click on Milken Educator Awards.