Tag Archives: English Teachers

Virginia’s Symone Jenkins earns 2024 First Year Teacher Award

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Symone Keolani Jenkins of Alexandria, Virginia, is such a phenomenal first-year educator that she has earned a 2024 Outstanding Secondary School Teacher Award. Photo Credit: Fairfax County Public Schools

Like most professional educators, I really struggled to stay on top of things during my first year of teaching. But there are some first-year teachers who, from the very beginning, are so exceptional they even win awards! One of these is Symone Keolani Jenkins, a high school teacher from Alexandria, Virginia. She is so phenomenal that she has earned a 2024 Outstanding Secondary School New Teacher Award from Fairfax County Public Schools.

Symone teaches English and Language Arts courses to sophomores and juniors at West Potomac High School in the Fairfax County Pubic School District. In the classroom, this outstanding educator has a reputation for creating an environment where her students thrive, not only academically but also socially and personally.

Symone embraces diversity and inclusion, and she recognizes the value of considering a variety of different perspectives to the learning environment. In the future, she hopes to offer elective courses in Black Perspectives in Literature and LGBTQ+ Perspectives in Literature. These courses are intended to “assist with having an open mind and open perspective moving forward by looking at the struggles of others in our society and history,” the honored teacher explains.

In addition to working as a teacher, Symone has also devoted her energy to young people by serving them as a volleyball coach for the local Evolution Volleyball Club. In fact, she has served as the Head Coach there since 2021.

Symone earned her Bachelor’s degree in English and Cultural Studies in 2021 and her Master’s degree in Secondary Education and Teaching English in 2022, both from George Mason University, a public research university located in Fairfax, Virginia, not far from Washington, DC.

Congratulations, Symone!

English teacher Renee Atkinson named South Carolina’s 2024 State Teacher of the Year

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High school English teacher Renee Atkinson has been named South Carolina’s 2024 State Teacher of the Year. Photo Credit: Horry Georgetown Technical College

It is always my pleasure to share the story of an exceptional educator who has earned recognition for their work in the classroom. Today, I share the story of Renee Atkinson, an English teacher from South Carolina. She has been named her state’s 2024 Teacher of the Year.

Renee teaches Language Arts, Advanced Placement Language Arts, and Advanced Placement English Literature at Aynor High School in the Horry County Schools District. She has also held significant roles in the development of the school’s International Baccalaureate program. In a career that spans 21 years in the profession, she has spent 17 of them in Horry County schools.

Renee says she considers building positive relationships with students her most important contribution to education and feels strongly that students must be able to trust her in order to learn. She works to create a culture of inclusivity and open-mindedness in the classroom, encouraging students to be contributing members of the learning community.

When asked to describe her teaching philosophy, Renee instantly responded, “The joy and passion that comes from being a teacher and stories of students that can motivate teachers to stay with it, and continue to work hard for our children.”

Renee earned her Bachelor’s degree in History from Clemson University in 2002. She earned her Master’s in Education in English from Francis Marion University in 2004. She completed the requirements for a degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Liberty University in 2013. She earned her National Board Certification in 2009.

As the South Carolina Teacher of the Year, Renee will serve for one school year as a roving ambassador providing mentoring, attending speaking engagements, working with colleagues, leading the State Teacher Forum, and serving as the sate spokesperson for over 55,000 educators. As part of her recognition as a state teacher of the year, Renee received a $25,000 cash prize and the use of a brand-new BMW for one year.

 

NY Special Ed teacher Tess Hinchman garners 2024 Big Apple Award

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Virginia “Tess” Hinchman has named a recipient of the 2024 Big Apple Award by the New York City Department of Education. Photo Credit: Williamsburg Prep High School

The New York City Department of Education (NYC DOE) does a fine job of recognizing their most outstanding teachers. This year, they have honored nearly 50 classroom educators who work in public schools within New York. One of these is Virginia “Tess” Hinchman, a Special Education and Language Arts teacher from Brooklyn. She has been named a recipient of their 2024 Big Apple Award.

Tess works at Williamsburg Preparatory School, a public high school located in Brooklyn, New York. She has worked at the school for three years. In her classroom, Tess develops curriculum that empowers her students to be in charge of their own learning. Her lessons emphasize learning through multiple modalities such as writing, discussion, and critique. She also develops engaging opportunities for students to make connections to real-world concepts.

Prior to her work at Williamsburg Prep, Tess taught in Madrid, Spain, where she traveled on a Fulbright Scholarship. There she d

This is not the only work that Tess has done with international students. She also worked as an ESOL Instructor and career mentor at the Irish International Immigrant Center in New York. And she also spent five months as a teaching assistant and volunteer at Foundation Minga Valpo at Valparaíso Province in Chile.

Tess graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations with a focus on Latin American Regional Studies from Tufts University, Massachusetts, in 2019. She earned her Master’s degree in Adolescent Education with a focus in Special Education and Teaching from Hunter College in 2023.

Congratulations, Tess!

Carly Maloney named Utah’s 2024 Teacher of the Year

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High school English and psychology teacher Carly Maloney has been named Utah’s 2024 State Teacher of the Year. Photo Credit: Kier

I am always excited to share the story of an outstanding educator who has earned recognition for the work with have done with young people. Today I share the story of Carly Maloney, a high school English and psychology teacher from Utah. She has been named her state’s 2024 Teacher of the Year.

Carly teaches English, English Language Advancement, and Advanced Placement Psychology at her high school alma mater, Viewpoint High School in Bountiful, Utah. She has also coached soccer  on her campus and served as an advisor for sophomore, junior, and student body officers. She has served as a member of Viewmont High School’s joint staff school and standards-based learning committees. She is a member of the Davis Education Association Board and has been named a recipient of her District’s Teacher Leader Fellowship. The fellowship has taught her more about how to be a teacher leader in her own building, she says, and has given her an opportunity to speak with state leaders at the Capitol about what’s happening in her classroom.

The first thing she wants all of her students to know, Carly declares, is that they have a safe place at school where they belong, their voice matters, and they can connect with others. She also wants them to develop resilience. One of the signs on one wall in her classroom reads “Grow through what you go through.” Another says, “It’s OK to not be OK.” A third says, “Mental health is as important as physical health,” and a fourth reads, “Be kind to your mind.”

Carly earned  her Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education from Idaho State University in 2014. She earned her Master’s degree in Learning Experience Design and Educational Technology from Western Governors University in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 2018. She is a member of the National Education Association and the American Psychological Association’s Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools.

Gwen Walz: Former teacher and current First Lady of Minnesota

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Former English teacher Gwen Walz currently serves as the First Lady of Minnesota, and is married to the running mate of Vice President Kamala Harris, a candidate for the office of President of the United States. Photo Credit: Augsburg University

Sometimes an outstanding educator finds herself thrust into the arena of public service. This is certainly true of Gwen Walz, who is currently serving as the First Lady of the state of Minnesota. She is married to Tim Walz, who is the running mate of Vice President Kamala Harris, a candidate for the office of President of the United States.

Gwen was born in Glencoe, Minnesota, on June 15, 1966. Gwen was born into a family of educators. Her father was a physical education teacher and coach. Her mother served as the community education director for a school district. As a young woman, she earned her Bachelor’s degree from Gustavus Adolphus College, a liberal arts college located in St. Peter, Minnesota. She earned her Master’s degree from Minnesota State University, Mankato.

Once she completed her education, Gwen moved to Nebraska where she accepted a position as an English teacher. That’s where she met and married her husband, Tim. In fact, the two teachers shared a classroom! In 2004, the couple moved back to her native state of Minnesota. There she and Tim both became teachers at Mankato High School. Later she worked as an assessment coordinator for Mankato Public Schools, and she taught in alternative and migrant schools. She remained in that position until 2018. In 2019, she worked at Augsburg University on government relations and public service career projects for students.

In addition, Gwen and her husband founded Educational Travel Adventures, Inc., an organization that offered students trips to China. She has also worked through the Bard Prison Initiative to help incarcerated people pay for college courses.

Gwen Walz: A true Chalkboard Champion.