Tag Archives: Elementary Teachers

Elem teacher Rachel Greenberg named 2024 Teacher of the Year by Providence Public Schools

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Elementary school teacher Rachel Greenberg has earned honors as the 2024 Teacher of the Year by the Providence Public School District. Photo credit: 10 WJAR

It is always a pleasure to share the story of an outstanding educator who has earned honors for their work with young people in the classroom. Today I share the story of Rachel Greenberg, an elementary school teacher from Rhode Island. She has been named the 2024 Teacher of the Year by the Providence Public School District.

Rachel teaches at Robert L Bailey IV Elementary School, where she serves as the campus First Grade Multilingual Classroom Teacher.

In her classroom, Rachel uses a truly unique approach to teaching. “I would describe my approach as quirky,” she confesses. “I’m an only child, and growing up, I lived in the boonies, so there was nobody around. So I had imaginary friends, and I had cousins, and they came every so often. But my mom and I were by ourselves. I was home and she would make songs up all the time about everything. And so I kept doing that,” she continues. “And I do that even in my classroom. We take things that are like, not things that are boring, but things that are mundane that you have to learn and we make them fun. So instead of learning about roots and plants and how the roots are in the ground, we make a song out of it. And so it becomes, ‘The roots are in the ground. They soak the water up.’ So every year, A new batch of kids, new songs, new things they like,” she concludes.

In this role she supports language development and personalized learning for her high-needs students. In addition, Rachel serves as the Science Team Lead for K-2; the Musical Director for the school’s production of Finding Nemo Junior.; the Equity Leadership Team Ambassador; the lead for the Elementary Computer Science Curriculum; and the Technology Lead, where she manages building technology issues and facilitated Chromebook repairs.

Rachel’s honors as Teacher of the Year is not the only recognition Rachel has received. She earned a Golden Apple Award by the Rhode Island State Department of Education in 2017.

Rachel earned her Bachelor’s degree in Geography, graduating magna cum laude. She earned her Master’s degree in Education, and a second Master’s degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, both from Rhode Island College. Her passion for inclusive education is further highlighted by her certifications in Classroom Culture, Rigor and Mastery, Differentiation and Identity, and Interest and Agency, which she earned from the Highlander Institute.

 

Holly Witcher named Georgia’s 2025 State Teacher of the Year

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Elementary school teacher Holly Witcher has been named Georgia’s 2025 State Teacher of the Year. Photo credit: Georgia College and State University

I am always excited to share the story of an outstanding teacher who has earned accolades for their work with young people. Today, I share the story of Holly Witcher, an elementary school teacher from Georgia. She has been named her state’s 2025 Teacher of the Year. She was selected for this honor from approximately 110,000 teacher applicants.

Holly instructs a self-contained Special Education class for kindergarten through second grade at Tesnatee Gap Elementary School in White County, Georgia. “I have the best job in the world,” declares Holly. “And everybody says, ‘You have a hard job.’ It is, but it’s absolutely the most rewarding to develop relationships with not just students, but their families, including their brothers and sisters because you must all be in it together,” she continues.

During her senior year in college, Holly took advantage of an opportunity to teach in Sweden. She was curious about education in other countries and how it compared to schools in the United States. When she returned to the United States, she used Swedish concepts to challenge the status quo in American schools. In addition to teaching in traditional public schools, Holly also taught online for 10 years at Georgia Cyber Academy. There, she served as a lead teacher for four years and as an elementary school assistant administrator of special programs for four years.

Her recognition as Georgia’s Teacher of the Year is not the only honor Holly has earned. She was named Teacher of the Year at Peek’s Chapel Elementary in Rockdale County in 2006 and District Teacher of the Year in White County in 2023. 

The honored teacher earned her Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Georgia College and State University in 2001. She earned her Master’s degree in Integrated Curriculum with a focus on Special Education from the American College of Education in 2021. She has also earned endorsements in Gifted In-Field Education and teaching English to speakers of other languages. Additionally, she obtained the Teacher Support Specialist Service Certificate, which equips her with the knowledge to mentor new teachers. Her career as an educator spans 24 years.
  

AR elementary teacher Jeanie Wilcoxon named her state’s 2025 Teacher of the Year

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Elementary school educator Jeanie Wilcoxon of Little Rock, Arkansas, was named her state’s 2025 Teacher of the Year. Photo credit: Jeanie Wilcoxon

I always enjoy sharing the story of an outstanding educator who has earned accolades for her work in the classroom. Today I share the story of Jeanie Wilcoxon, an elementary school teacher from Arkansas. She has been named her state’s 2025 Teacher of the Year.

Jeanie teaches mathematics to fourth graders at Chenal Elementary School in Little Rock, Arkansas. Over the course of her 25 years as a professional educator, she has developed a proven method for helping her students succeed. In fact, her students consistently score in the top 3% of all math students in her state. And her students consistently maintain high math scores on the Northwest Evaluation Association, with 80% of her students meeting their goals for growth in math.

In addition to her work at Chenal Elementary, the honored educator has also served at the high school level as an Assistant Volleyball Coach from 2016 to 2022. From 2010 to 2011, she was a fifth-grade language arts teacher in the Dumas School District, and prior to that, she taught multiple grades in Iberville Parish Schools in Plaquemine, Louisiana.

Jeanie’s selection as Arkansas’s 2025 Teacher of the Year is not the only recognition she has received. In 2007 she was named Iberville Parish Teacher of the Year. She was also named the Pulaski County Special School District Teacher of the Year for 2023-2024 and the Iberville Parish Teacher of the Year the same year. She is a member of the Order of Omega leadership honor society.

Jeanie earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary and Secondary Physical Education from the University of Arkansas at Monticello. She earned her teaching certificate in Elementary Education from Louisiana State University. In addition, she has experience working as a tutor and a mentor teacher.

Congratulations, Jeanie Wilcoxon!

Elem teacher Deborah Stringfellow named Alabama’s 2025 Teacher of the Year

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Elementary Reading and Language Arts teacher Deborah Stringfellow named Alabama State’s 2025 Teacher of the Year. Photo credit: The 1819 Newsletter

I always enjoy sharing stories about exceptional teachers who have earned accolades for their work in the field of education. One of these is Deborah Stingfellow, an elementary school teacher from Coosada, Alabama. She has been named her state’s 2025 Teacher of the Year.

Deborah currently teaches Reading and Language Arts to fourth graders at Airport Road Intermediate School in Coosada, Elmore County. In a career that spans four decades, she has taught at Airport Road for the past four. Prior to that, she taught in Snellville, Georgia, and Daleville, Alabama. She has taught regular education and gifted education, and at both the elementary and junior high school levels. She also served as an Assistant Principal in Snellville for four years of her career.

In addition to her classroom responsibilities, Deborah contributes to her community through the initiative she founded, Sowing Seeds: Growing Teachers, which involves partnering with schools and universities. The honored educator dedicates her time to mentoring new teachers, empowering experienced educators with essential resources, and presenting at conferences. 

Deborah earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and her Master’s degree in Special Education, both from Troy University. She has also completed the requirements for an Education Specialist’s degree in Administration and Supervision from Lincoln Memorial University. And she is a National Board Certified teacher. 

This exemplary educator possesses a strong passion for education, which comes from her humble beginnings. Both her parents had to quit school before reaching the eighth grade in order to help support their families. “Despite not having the opportunity for formal education, my parents understood its importance and instilled in me a strong work ethic, a deep appreciation for education and a commitment to lifelong learning,” Deborah declares. “As a young teenager, the realization of what could have been for my parents became a powerful motivator,” she continues. Later, her father earned his GED, and Deborah helped her mother earn her GED as well.

Congratulations, Deborah!

 

NJ elementary teacher Maureen Moran honored by VFW

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Elementary school teacher Maureen Moran has been named a 2025 New Jersey State Teacher of the Year by the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Photo credit: Cedar Hill Elementary School

Each year, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) in the state of New Jersey honors three outstanding educators with their Teacher of the Year award. This honor recognizes three exceptional teachers for their outstanding commitment to teaching citizenship and patriotism to their students.

Each year, one teacher at the elementary, one at the junior high, and one at the high school level are selected. In making those selections, the organizations choose teachers whose classroom curriculum focuses on citizenship topics, including civic responsibility, patriotism, flag etiquette, and for providing their students with opportunities to honor veterans.

This year, elementary school teacher Maureen Moran has been chosen as the Elementary VFW Teacher of the Year. Maureen teaches second grade at Cedar Hill Elementary School, one of five elementary schools in Montville Township, New Jersey

In addition to her classroom work, Maureen is part of her school’s Character Education Program, which collects and assembles personal care donations from each class at the school. This year the committee assembled 57 complete Care Kits, which include shave, dental and shower items, and an additional 84 partial Care Kits, as well as collecting family size donations and extra supplies. The items are them distributed to needy individuals

In addition, Maureen is one of the organizers of her campus Veterans Day event. “Maureen Moran instills in her students, and students throughout the school, a sense of national pride and civic responsibility, combined with her unwavering commitment to character education,” asserts Ken Hanzi, Commander of VFW Post 5481. “Maureen has the exceptional ability to connect the values of citizenship and patriotism to her everyday teaching.”

To learn more about the VFW, click on this link.