Tag Archives: Language Arts Teachers

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!

 

Kelley Cusmano named Michigan’s 2025 Teacher of the Year

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High school English teacher Kelley Cusmano has been named the Michigan State 2025 Teacher of the Year. Photo credit: Bridge Michigan

There are many exemplary teachers work in America’s public schools. One of these is Kelley Cusmano, a high school English teacher from Michigan. She has been named her state’s 2025 Teacher of the Year.

Kelley teaches at Rochester High School in Rochester, Michigan. She teaches Language Arts courses to sophomores and in Elements of Composition to juniors who read below grade level in a diverse student body. She also provides instruction in Student Leadership on her campus. In a career as an educator that has spanned 20 years, she has spent nearly 17 of them at Rochester.

Since 2022, she has also served as the Secondary English Language Arts Curriculum Consultant for Rochester Community Schools. She was selected a of Klawe Fellow for 2020-2021. In addition, in 2018 Kelley served as a member of a committee of educators who organized the Governor’s Education and Talent Summit. And currently, she serves as an at-large representative for the Michigan ASCD organization and serves on the CEO Teacher Cabinet for the Teach Plus organization. Her selection as her state’s Teacher of the Year is not the only recognition Kelley has earned. In March, 2017, she was named Adviser of the Year by the Michigan Association of Student Councils. In 2016, she was selected Emerging Leader by the Association for Curriculum Development.

It is not a surprise that Kelley chose a career in education. “From a young age, I knew that I wanted to work with kids,” she remembers. “I was inspired by spending a lot of time in my mom’s classroom—she taught kindergarten in Concord, Michigan—and my identical twin sister and I would spend hours reading books to kids, playing on the playground with them, etc.,” she continues. “However, as I got older, I actually became interested in writing/journalism as a career, so I entered Michigan State University as a journalism major. I knew I still wanted to work with kids, so I blended both of my loves and decided to become a high school English teacher,” she concludes.

Kelley earned her Bachelor’s degree in English with a Minor in History from Michigan State University in 2005. In 2009, she earned her Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction, also from Michigan State.

 

Florida teacher Jenny Torres Sanchez writes award-winning Young Adult novels

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Former Florida English teacher Jenny Torres Sanchez now writes award-winning Young Adult novels. Photo Credit; Jenny Torres Sanchez

Many excellent classroom teachers have earned fame as talented authors. One of these is Jenny Torres Sanchez. She is the author of young adult novels, several of which have won coveted awards.

Jenny was born in Brooklyn, New York. Her mother immigrated to the United States from Puerto Barrios, Guatemala, and her father immigrated from El Salvador. When she was ten years old, her family moved to Orlando, Florida. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from the University of Central Florida.

Once she earned her degree, Jenny taught English Language Arts at the high school level. Later she left the classroom to care for her son, who was diagnosed with developmental delays. During this time, she began to write her first novel, The Downside of Being Charlie, The book was published in 2012. She followed this with Death, Dickinson, and the Demented Life of Frenchie Garcia in 2013; Because of the Sun in 2017; The Fall of Innocence in 2018, and With Lots of Love in 2022.

In her novels, Jenny often writes about challenging topics. She does this, she says, in the hopes that her books will help who young people who are facing challenging situations to “help them know that the human condition is one made up of so many things: love, pain, elation, tragedy. And no matter what your situation, there are others out there who probably understand, or empathize, with what someone is going through.”

Jenny’s work has earned a number of prestigious awards. In 2017, she earned a Florida Book Award for Young Adult Literature. In 2021, she garnered the Best Fiction for Young Adults award from the American Library Association and she was also named a finalist for the Pura Belpre Award. In 2024, she captured Michael L. Printz Award.

To learn more about Jenny Torres Sanchez, click on this link to her website.

 

Alabama teacher Angie Maples garners recognition

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I always enjoy sharing stories about outstanding teachers who have earned recognition for their work with young people. One of these is Angie Maples, a high school teacher from Alabama. She has been named the SuperStar Teacher of the Month for September, 2024, by the Decatur-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce.

Angie teachers English and Language Arts at Career Academies of Decatur (CAD) in Decatur, Alabama. Her career as an educator spans 24 years.

The SuperStar Teacher program celebrates educators who make a significant impact on their students and communities. Th recognition program is part of the Chamber’s ongoing commitment to recognizing and supporting outstanding educators in Decatur, Morgan County, and Hartselle. The honor comes with a $150 gift card for Angie’s classroom, a $50 gift card for her personal use, and a $1,000 grant for her school.

 

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.