There are many talented and dedicated educators that devote themselves to their students in every state of the United States, and today we spotlight one from Colorado: Sarah Szymanski, an elementary school teacher from Colorado Springs who has garnered a coveted 2018-2019 Milken Educator Award. Sarah teaches second grade at Soaring Eagles Elementary School. The school, described as a gifted and talented magnet school, has named both a National Blue Ribbon School and a National Title I Distinguished School.

Sarah earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Pennsylvania State University in 2008. She reveals that she was inspired to become an educator after watching her mother, a now-retired sixth-grade teacher, develop lasting relationships with her students. “I realized that as a teacher you can effect change on a daily basis and become a lifelong figure in the lives of your students,” she says. “I don’t think there’s a better feeling than knowing that every day, you have the opportunity to create a long-lasting difference in the life of a child.”

Sarah has a reputation for being a natural leader, with an extraordinary ability to advocate for both students and colleagues. She serves as a grade level leader, and has been a part of many of her school’s and district’s committees, including Math Collaborators, Effectiveness and Results, and the Building Leadership team. She has presented at school and district inservices on literacy models and their implementation. Many visitors to Soaring Eagles visit Sarah’s classroom to observe her classroom management, community-building, and instruction skills.

The Milken Educator Awards, which Teacher magazine has described as the “Oscars of Teaching,” has been honoring exceptional educators over three decades. Milken Educators are selected in early to mid-career for what they have achieved to date, and for the promise of what they will accomplish as they continue through their careers. In addition to the $25,000 cash prize and public recognition, the honor includes membership in the National Milken Educator Network, a group of more than 2,700 top teachers, principals, and specialists from all over the country who are dedicated to strengthening education.

Eagle View Elementary School teacher Katherine Bobby of Somerset, Pennsylvania, has just garnered a 2018-2019 Milken Educator Award.

Eagle View Elementary School in Somerset, Pennsylvania, must be immensely proud of Katherine Bobby, a third grade teacher at the school who has just garnered a coveted Milken Educator Award. She is the only Milken winner from the state of Pennsylvania this year, and is among the up to 40 honorees selected for 2018-19 school year.

Katherine says her decision to become a teacher was a gradual one. “I had always been comfortable around kids. Breaking down academic information and explaining it to others came naturally to me,” she remembers. “In middle school and high school I spent many evenings and weekends babysitting and tutoring in order to make money for my tuition. People often told me I would excel at teaching,” she continued. “I was also excited at the thought of carrying out my mother’s dream for herself; she had been an education major until financial strain made her drop out of college in 1970,” she concluded.

At her school, Katherine has a reputation for being an innovative leader who serves as an inspiration for both students and staff. She leads professional development, contributes to professional learning communities, serves on the English/Language Arts (ELA) Committee, and designed a framework for peer observations. In addition, she mentors both new and student teachers in Special Education and ELA. As part of her school’s Sunshine Committee, Katherine helps to create high morale and a positive school climate for staff. As an educator, she is known for concentrating on forming strong connections between home and school. Within her community, she organizes school food drives for a local food pantry.

Katherine earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary and Special Education in 2005 from St. Francis University, a private Catholic liberal arts university located in Loretto, Cambria County, Pennsylvania.

The Milken Educator Awards, which Teacher magazine has described as the “Oscars of Teaching,” has been honoring exceptional educators over 30 years. Milken Educators are selected in early to mid-career for what they have achieved to date, and for the promise of what they will accomplish as they continue through their careers. In addition to the $25,000 cash prize and public recognition, the honor includes membership in the National Milken Educator Network, a group of more than 2,700 top teachers, principals, and specialists from all over the country who are dedicated to strengthening education.

Congratulations, Katherine Bobby!

Elementary teacher Laura Chang: Michigan’s 2018 State Teacher of the Year.

Michigan has announced elementary school teacher Laura Chang is the state’s Teacher of the Year for 2018. Laura, whose career as an educator has spanned 19 years, teaches at Sunset Lake Elementary in the Vicksburg Community School district in Kalamazoo County, Michigan. She currently teaches math and reading to kindergarten through fifth grade learners in an intervention setting.

Previously, Laura has taught pre-K, first/second grade multi-age, second grade, and third grade. In addition, she has worked as an instructional consultant and academic coach. She also serves as a mentor coach and district technology integration leader. And as if all this isn’t enough, she also teaches undergraduate and graduate level courses in the Special Education and Literacy Studies Department at Western Michigan University.

Laura earned both her Bachelor’s degree in Education (1999) and her Master’s degree in Education (2004)  from Western Michigan University located in Kalamazoo.

Laura has an obvious passion for her profession. “Teachers must have a passion for their work when they walk into a classroom each day,” asserts Laura. “I’m passionate about my students’ academic, behavior and socio-emotional growth and success,” she continues. “Our students look to their teachers for hope, for guidance, for encouragement, and for inspiration. What my students may not realize, though, is that those are the things that they give to me each day when I walk into my classroom,” she concludes.