Tag Archives: Elementary Teachers

Alaska teacher Jason Daniels garners prestigious PAEMST

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Elementary school teacher Jason Daniels of Soldotna, Alaska, garnered a 2020 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. Photo Credit: Jason Daniels

It is always exciting when a member of the professional community earns recognition for their work in the classroom. Jason Daniels, an elementary school teacher from Soldotna, Alaska, has earned such recognition. In 2020, he garnered a Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching for 2020.

Jason teaches at Kalifornsky Beach Elementary School in Soldotna. In fact, he has spent his entire career of 23 years there, teaching third through sixth grades. In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Jason taught remote classes for grades four through six for families in no less than three local elementary schools.

Whether teaching in person or online, Jason’s focus on his students is obvious. He uses an inquiry-based approach to learning, encouraging his students to observe phenomena in the natural world, which brings the learning to life and makes it relevant to their own lives.

The honored teacher extends his expertise beyond his elementary classroom. Since 2018, Jason has spent his summers teaching STEM to underprivileged youth at Upstream Academy. In addition, he has led professional development workshops, and a kindergarten-through-fifth-grade science teacher collaboration. Since 2014, Jason has participated in collaborations to write, review, and adopt new state science standards. In fact, in 2021, Jason co-presented the new state science standards to teachers all over Alaska, and he assisted in the review of the state pilot science assessment. Furthermore, he has been on several district curriculum committees, and currently serves on the 2021-2022 Science Curriculum Committee. And as if all this were not enough, he has been a master teacher for three pre-service teachers.

The PAEMST is not the only prestigious recognition Jason has earned. In 2012, he traveled to Wodonga, Australia, where he taught for one year as a Victorian International Teaching Fellow.

Jason earned his Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and a his Master’s degree in Educational Technology from the University of Alaska. He is a National Board Certified Middle Childhood Generalist.

Good work, Jason!

Covid-19 claims life of beloved educator Celia Hartman

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We are sad to report that beloved elementary school teacher Celia Hartman succumbed to Covid-19 last January. Photo Credit: Telegraph Herald, Iowa

We are sad to report that the educational community has lost yet another beloved educator to Covid-19. Celia Hartman, an elementary school teacher from River Ridge, Illinois, succumbed to the disease on Jan. 3, 2022. She was just 32 years old.

Celia was born on Dec. 29, 1989, in Dubuque, Iowa, although she was raised in Elizabeth. After her graduation from River Ridge High School in 2008, Celia earned her Bachelor’s degree from Ashford University in Clinton, Iowa, in 2012. Later she completed the requirements for her Master’s degree from American College of Education.

Celia was hired in 2013 to teach second grade at River Ridge Elementary School in Hanover, Illinois. In 2021, she switched to teaching preschool. Throughout her years as an educator, Celia had a reputation for being passionate about her career, and she harbored a genuine love for every one of her students.

Celia’s concern for her students went beyond the classroom. In 2018, she worked with colleagues Tammy Smith and Jen Laity to apply for a grant to help her young charges. The $500 grant, awarded to educators in the first ten yers of their career who want to pursue a service project, was part of the IEA’s Schools and Community Outreach by Educators program. The service project Celia chose to support is Cats Care, a program which helps support the personal needs of students, including providing personal hygiene items, clothing, shoes, and eyeglasses. Celia and her colleagues helped establish Cats Care along within the River Ridge Education Association.

Celia will certainly be missed by her students and by her colleagues.

 

Covid-19 claims life of Texas teacher and new mom Alexandra Chandler

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We are sad to report that Covid-19 has claimed the life of Texas elementary school teacher and new mom Alexandra Chandler. Photo credit: Heritage Funeral Home

We are sad to report that Covid-19 has claimed the life of yet another beloved educator. Alexandra Chandler, a fifth grade teacher from Fort Hood, Texas, succumbed to the disease on Feb. 13, 2022. She was just 27 years old, and she was a new mom.

Alexandra taught fifth grade reading and writing at Montague Village Elementary School in the Killeen Independent School District in Fort Hood, Texas. Even though she was vaccinated, she hesitated to return to work after Winter Break, because she was just days from delivering, and Covid-19 cases were surging. Despite her reservations, Alexandra went back to the classroom.

At the time of her passing, the elementary school teacher had just given birth to her first child, a son she and her husband named Beau, born Jan. 9, 2022. While at the hospital, both Alexandra and her newborn were diagnosed with Covid-19, but the pair were discharged and sent home. Five days later, both were readmitted to the hospital for difficulties breathing. Alexandra’s health declined, and she was placed on a ventilator. She passed away a few days later.

Alexandra was born on Sept. 20, 1994, in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. Her family moved to Belton, Texas, when she was 11 years old. Following her high school graduation from Belton High School in 2013, the fallen educator earned her Bachelor’s degree in Education from Texas A&M Central Texas, summa cum laude, in 2017. She earned her Master’s degree from the University of North Texas in 2021.

“As a little girl, Alex always wanted to be a teacher,” remembered Jenny Clay, Alexandra’s mother. “It wasn’t so much that she chose teaching as teaching chose her.”

 

Minnesota educator Brigid Sandager earns 2021 Outstanding Teacher Award

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Fifth grade teacher Brigid Sandager of Bayport, Minnesota, earned the 2021 Outstanding Teacher Award from Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom (MAITC). Photo Credit: Minnesota Department of Agriculture

I always enjoy sharing stories about exceptional teachers who have earned accolades for their work in the classroom. One of these is Brigid Sandager, a fifth grade teacher at Anderson Elementary School in the Stillwater Public School District located in Bayport, Minnesota. Brigid has earned the 2021 Outstanding Teacher Award from Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom (MAITC). Her career there spans 15 years.

Integrating agricultural education into her instructional program strengthens classroom discussions by allowing students to examine the world around them and how choices made today affect the future, asserts Brigid. Her fifth graders explore science and agriculture through their own observations, and then they share their observations through journaling, collaboration, and technology. “We have strengthened our classroom discussions by looking at what is happening around us and how what we do now impacts our future,” the honored educator says. “I hope the use of curriculum provided by Minnesota Ag in the Classroom expands students’ farm-to-plate knowledge and hopefully encourages them to look beyond how food is grown to the many other STEAM(Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) career opportunities available through agriculture,” she concludes.

Brigid earned her Bachelor’s degree in Applied Science with an emphasis in Agriculture Education from the University of Minnesota in 1983. She earned a second Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and Teaching from the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire, in 1988. She earned her Master’s degree in Reading Teacher Education from the University of Wisconsin, River Falls, in 2014.

With her honor from MAITC, Brigid received a $500 stipend and $1,500 in expenses to attend the 2021 National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference in Des Moines, Iowa, last June. The MAITC program was established 30 years ago as a partnership between public and private entities. The organization is based at the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.

Wyoming Teacher Brittney Montgomery named her state’s 2022 Teacher of the Year

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Brittney Montgomery, an elementary school teacher from Green River, Wyoming, has been named her state’s 2022 Teacher of the Year. Photo Credit: CCSSO.org

I always enjoy sharing stories about educators who have earned accolades for their work in the classroom. One of these is Brittney Montgomery, an elementary school teacher from Green River, Wyoming. She’s been named her state’s 2022 Teacher of the Year.

Brittney teaches first grade at Harrison Elementary School in Sweetwater County School District No. 2 in Green River. In addition to her work in the classroom, the honored educator serves on her school’s Leadership Committee. She also volunteers as the secretary for the Green River Education Association. She mentors new teachers and spends time helping college students as they pursue their degrees.

The Wyoming Teacher of the Year faces a significant responsibility to represent the teaching profession throughout the state. Over the course of the coming year, Brittney will act as a liaison between the teaching community, the Wyoming Legislature, the Wyoming Department of Education, school districts, and communities. In addition, the Teacher of the Year serves an education ambassador to businesses, parents, service organizations, and media, and as an education leader in teacher forums.

Brittney earned the Teacher of the Year honors for her deep commitment to students. “She’s all about kids, and she’s all about doing what’s best for kids,” asserts Harrison Elementary Principal Stephen Lake. “It’s exciting. It’s exciting for teachers to be recognized for the hard, hard job that they have,” he continued.

Here’s an example of Brittney’s commitment to her students. When schools were closed at the beginning of the pandemic, she launched an online program to read stories aloud to help children stay connected. Her work was reported by a local news source, and “Storytime with Mrs. Montgomery” was shared with thousands of children across the country.

Brittney’s career as an educator has spanned 12 years. As a fourth-generation teacher in her family, Brittney demonstrated a passion for teaching from a young age. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from the University of Wyoming. She earned her Master’s degree in Education from Grand Canyon University.

To read more about Brittney Montgomery, read this article published about her in the Green River Star.