Tag Archives: Performing Arts Teachers

Musical Theater teacher Brooke Berry-Wolf earns Big Apple Award

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Musical Theater teacher Brooke Berry-Wolf, shown here with students, has been named a recipient of a 2023-2024 Big Apple Award from New York City Public Schools. Photo Credit: Brooke Berry-Wolf

I always enjoy sharing stories about exceptional educators who have earned accolades for their work with young people. One of these is Brooke Berry-Wolf, a Musical Theater teacher from Harlem, New York. She has been named a recipient of a 2023-2024 Big Apple Award from New York City Public Schools.

The Big Apple Awards recognize and celebrate New York City teachers who inspire students to be their best selves; model equitable learning with high expectations for the diverse and dynamic needs of all students; affirm students’ identities, unique gifts, and genius; and enrich their school communities by partnering with families, community members, and community-based organizations.

Brooke teaches at Talent Unlimited High School (TUHS), a small performing arts public school. Admission is by audition and review of academic records. TUHS is widely recognized for its successful preparation of artistic, academically-proficient community of college-ready students.

In her classes, Berry-Wolf’s students complete a rigorous four-year curriculum of vocal, acting, and dance classes with an emphasis on acting through song and dance. Musical Theatre majors are provided the opportunity to perform each year. The degree of student input and choice increases each year and by their senior year, students will write, direct, choreograph, produce, and perform in a Senior Showcase performance.

Brooke helped to start Cake Productions, a female-founded off-off Broadway theatre company. Once the company was off the ground, she went on to produce, direct, and perform in numerous productions, including an annual presentation of It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play.

While living in Colorado, Brooke earned her Bachelor’s degree in Musical Theater with an emphasis in Voice at the University of Northern Colorado. She earned her Master’s degree in teaching win New York City. She has taught at Talent Unlimited HIgh School since 2015.

Texas teacher earns 2024 National High School Musical Theatre Award

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It is always my pleasure to shine a spotlight on an exceptional teacher who has earned accolades for his work with young people. Today, I highlight Paul Fillingim, an artistic director at Reagan High School in San Antonio, Texas. He is one of two teachers in the country who has been honored with the 2024 Inspiring Teacher Award from the Jimmy Awards. The Jimmy Awards, also known as The National High School Musical Theatre Awards, is known for showcasing the best talent that the country has to offer.

To learn more about Paul Fillingim, view this four-minute YouTube video below:

Music educator Louise Smith named 2024 Mississippi Teacher of the Year

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Middle school music educator Louise Smith has been named the 2024 Mississippi State Teacher of the Year. Photo Credit: Gautier Middle School

I am always excited to share the story of an exceptional educator who has been honored for their work in the classroom. One of these is Louise Smith, an instrumental music teacher from Gautier, Mississippi. She has been named her state’s 2024 Teacher of the Year.

Louise teaches seventh and graders at Gautier Middle School in Gautier. She has worked in the Pascagoula-Gautier School District for 22 years. The honored educator passionately believes that music literacy is essential to literacy in general. And her work shows this passion. Because of her commitment to teaching young people to read music, her students have achieved success at regional and state levels.

Raised by a single mother of Filipino descent, Louise credits her family and her teachers, particularly a college band director she met at a high school band clinic, with her success as an educator. She encourages teachers to recognize their importance in the lives of children. She says being a teacher is not an easy job, but she knows the impact she has on students and will always advocate for them.

Her selection as the 2024 Mississippi is not the only recognition Louise has earned. She was featured on the cover of NEA’s magazine in their August, 2020, issue, with an accompanying story entitled “Helping Students and Educators Recover from Covid-19 Trauma.” The article detailed her work dealing with teacher stress and mental health. Furthermore, in May, 2021, US News and World Report profiled her as one of the professionals who made a difference for her students during the pandemic.

Louise earned her Bachelor’s degree in Music Education in 2002 and her Master’s degree in Administration and Leadership in 2005, both from the University of Southern Mississippi. She is also a National Board Certified Teacher. In addition, Louise is an alumnus of the National Education Association (NEA) Teacher Leadership Initiative, and she has served as a state coach.

Christy Todd named Georgia’s 2024 State Teacher of the Year

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Middle school music educator Christy Todd has been named Georgia’s 2024 State Teacher of the Year. Photo Credit: All on Georgia

Our nation’s students are indeed fortunate to have so many exceptional teachers in the classroom. One of them is Christy Todd, a middle school teacher from Georgia. She has been named her state’s 2024 Teacher of the Year.

Christy teaches music education to students in sixth, seventh, and eighth grades at Rising Starr Middle School in Fayetteville, Georgia. But her influence goes far beyond her own music classroom. To make music education accessible to all students on her campus, Christy launched a collaboration between the Music Department and her school’s Special Education classrooms. Impressively, the program has reached more than 10,000 students over the last 15 years. 

In addition to her classroom instruction, Christy founded her district’s Community for Creativity initiative, a program that supports schoolwide creation of songs, podcasts, videos, and audio books. These products are released through the school’s recording label, Hall Pass Entertainment.

Christy began her teaching career as a Choir Director. In fact, she still actively conducts honor choirs, along with publishing articles and research for various state, national, and international education journals. She was also a founding member of the Story Arts Collective, a group of education and industry leaders committed to growing Georgia’s creative work force.
 
Her recognition as the Georgia State Teacher of the Year is not the only honor Christy has received. In 2013, she was named a Grammy Music Teacher of the Year National Quarter-Finalist. In 2016, she was honored as the Georgia Middle School Association’s Teacher of the Year, and in 2022, she was named Fayette County Public Schools Teacher of the Year. She has also been honored as a key youth influencer by the United States Navy’s Blue Angels.

Christy earned her Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Shorter College in Little Rock, Arkansas, and her Master’s degree in Music Education from Florida State University. 

Elem teacher, Drama Director Joshua Chard named Maine’s 2024 State Teacher of the Year

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Elementary teacher and Drama Director Joshua Chard has been named Maine’s 2024 Teacher of the Year. Photo Credit: Maine State Department of Education

I always enjoy sharing the story of an exceptional educator who has earned recognition for his work with young people. One of these is Joshua Chard, an elementary school teacher and Drama Director from Portland, Maine. He has been named his state’s 2024 Teacher of the Year by the Maine State Department of Education.

Joshua teaches second and third grade loop at East End Community School, one of the most diverse elementary schools north of Boston. “I was really excited to discover that I’m really good at teaching kids how to read,” says Joshua. “It’s pretty exciting to watch kids go from being word readers to being story readers. It’s a pretty amazing thing to be a part of,” he continued.

Joshua decided to pursue a career as an educator when he was only in the fifth grade. As a young student, he confesses, he was a struggling learner. But it was his fifth-grade teacher, Mrs. Breau, who made a special connection that changed everything. She was an amazing teacher, Joshua declares, and she “convinced me that I could be a learner. She saw me for who I was,” he says.

In addition to his young students, Joshua also serves as the Drama Director at Deering High School. “The thing about my drama club is that we are a place that is a strong community where everybody is welcome to come as they are,” explains Joshua. “The word got out that it is a really safe place for kids who often feel they don’t have another safe place to land in high school,” he continued. During the four years he has led the club, he has built a community of young actors from nine to forty.

Joshua earned his Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with a concentration in Theater from the University of Southern Maine in 1996. He also earned a Master’s degree in Education from the University of New England in 2009. He completed the requirements for a certificate in K-6 standards-based mathematics from the American College of Education, and he is certified as a K-12 teacher of English to speakers of other languages. His career as an educator spans 31 years.

When he’s not working with students, Joshua is a freelance theater director. This year, he and his husband will direct a show at the Children’s Museum and Theatre of Maine.