Tag Archives: Social Studies Teachers

Texas teacher Caitlin Baumgarten earns Education Leadership Award

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Texas middle school teacher Caitlin Baumgarten has earned a 2023 Julius Glickman Education Leadership Award. Photo Credit: Caitlin Baumgarten

I am always eager to share the story of an outstanding teacher who has earned recognition for their work as a professional educator. One of these is Caitlin Baumgarten, a teacher from Texas who has garnered a 2023 Julius Glickman Education Leadership Award, an honor which recognizes exceptional leadership in the field of education.

Caitlin teaches Social Studies to sixth—eighth graders at A&M Consolidated Middle School in College Station. “I believe in teaching from the heart; in treating students with respect and dignity; in finding new, creative and engaging ways to spark a fire of interest in my students,” declares Caitlin. “In order to be a successful teacher, and to provide the best educational experience for all of my students, each moment in my classroom should be a positive experience for each student,” she asserts.

In addition to creating an engaging classroom environment and bringing history to life for her students, Caitlin enjoys helping other social studies teachers reach their students in new, exciting ways through her podcast, History Teachers Club.

“We history teachers love to say that our lessons ‘make history come alive’ but I have never quite seen that actually happen so much as it does in Caitlin’s classroom,” remarks colleague Daniel Lewer. “Her effort to make history truly come alive go beyond the room transformations and costumes. It fundamentally rests in the engaging lesson and rich content that her students have to wrestle with in her classroom,” he continues.

Caitlin earned her Bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with an emphasis in English/Language Arts and Social Studies from Texas A&M University in 2016. She also earned a minor in Political Science. She earned her Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Grand Canyon University in 2021.

Humanities Texas, which bestows the Julius Glickman Education Leadership Award, presents annual statewide awards to Texas classroom teachers who have made exemplary contributions in teaching, curriculum development and extracurricular programming.

 

Dr. Stephanie Schoppert recognized as outstanding elementary Social Studies teacher

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Dr. Stephanie Schoppert of Calvert County, Maryland, was named the 2023 Elementary Teacher of the Year by the Maryland Council of Social Studies. The honor was followed by recognition by both the Maryland Senate and the State House of Delegates. Photo Credit: Dowell Elementary School

There are many fine educators working with our students. One of these is Dr. Stephanie Schoppert, an elementary school teacher in Calvert County, Maryland. In fact, she earned the coveted honor of 2023 Elementary Teacher of the Year from the Maryland Council of Social Studies (MDCSS). The honor was followed by recognition from both the Maryland Senate and the State House of Delegates

Stephanie teaches fifth graders at Dowell Elementary School. Throughout her career, which spans more than 30 years, she has taught grades three through eight. She has been described as a lifelong learner, and her colleagues say she aspires to create the same passion for learning in her students. Stephanie believes that Social Studies education prepares our students for their future.

For her work with young people, Stephanie has been recognized as the Elementary Teacher of the Year by the Maryland Council of Social Studies (MDCSS). The recognition, declares Superintendent of Calvert County Public Schools Dr. Andrae Townsel, honors educators who are dedicated and committed to excellence and providing engaging social studies instruction for students. The honor was followed by recognition from both the Maryland Senate and the State House of Delegates.

The MDCSS is a nonprofit organization that works to build a community of social studies educators throughout the state of Maryland. Through this network, the organization advances cultural understanding, respect for human differences, and an appreciation of diversity. MDCSS provides high quality professional development and instructional resources for Maryland social studies teachers and works to recognize excellence in social studies instruction at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.

 

OR educator Willie Williams garners OnPoint Prize for Excellence in Education

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Social Studies teacher and Athletic Director Willie Williams garners OnPoint Excellence in Education Award. Photo credit: Instagram

It is always a pleasure for me to share the story of an outstanding educator who has earned recognition with their work with young people. One of these is Willie Williams, a Social Studies teacher and Athletics Director from Portland, Oregon. Willlie has garnered a 2023 OnPoint Prize for Excellence in Education award.

Willie teaches history and economics at Roosevelt High School in North Portland. His curriculum includes lessons about under-represented groups and encourages students to think critically about history and justice. Willie also serves his school as the Athletic Director and the advisor for the Black Student Union.

He has a reputation for treating everyone on campus as family. “I call everyone in my classroom family,” he says. “When I address the class in the morning, I say, ‘good morning family.’ In fact, it was his students who nominated him for the coveted OnPoint award.

The honored educator relocated to Portland from New Orleans, Louisiana, ten years ago. He enjoys sharing his native culture with his school community. He even serves Louisiana gumbo to over 1,500 students and staff every year. “It’s a week-long process,” Willie explains, “but it’s something I love doing. It’s soul food,” he continues. “I think good food makes people smile and makes them feel good. That’s what I want to see,” he concludes.

Willie is one of four teachers in Oregon who have been recognized with an OnPoint award. The other three recipients were Caryn Anderson of Portland; Lucas Dix of Milwaukee, Oregon; and Samuel Platt of Bend. As part of the award, all four honored teachers will have their rent or mortgage paid for an entire year. In addition, each teacher’s school will receive a $2,500 donation. To learn more about the OnPoint Prize for Excellence in Education, visit OnPointcu.com.

Georgia’s Vanessa Ellis: Outstanding Social Studies teacher

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Middle school teacher Vanessa Ellis of Georgia is an outstanding educator. Photo credit: All On Georgia

I always enjoy sharing the story of an outstanding educator. Today, I am sharing the story of Vanessa Ellis, a middle school Social Studies teacher and Department Chair from Covington, Georgia.

Vanessa teaches at Veterans Memorial Middle School in Covington. She instructs courses in World Studies to seventh graders and Georgia Studies to eighth graders. The World Studies course includes geography, history, economics, and government of Africa and Asia. The Georgia Studies course includes geography, history, economics, and government of the state of Georgia. She also teaches her students a unit on personal money management choices with regards to income, spending, credit, saving, and investing. “This is a great way to introduce students to future financial responsibility,” Vanessa asserts.

This Chalkboard Champion says that becoming a teacher has always been her passion. “Someone once told me that the measure of a true educator is the impact that they have on students,” Vanessa says. “Years from now, I would hope that my students would say, first and foremost, that I loved them. That I honored their humanity—that even though they were kids, I treated them with kindness, dignity, and respect,” she continues. “I would also hope that they would say I believed in them—that I showed up for them, and I cared for them, not only as students, but as individuals. I challenge them and I push them to discover their capacity to learn is far greater than they ever can imagine,” she concludes.

For her work in the classroom, Vanessa has earned many accolades. In 2022, she was named the Muscogee County Teacher of the Year. In 2021, she garnered a competition for having the best Canvas course for students in Muscogee County. In 2018, she was named a Harvard Fellow and studied researched-based practices for a week at Project Zero Classroom. And in 2017, she was honored as Georgia Economics Teacher of the Year by the Georgia Council on Economic Education.

Vanessa was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and raised in both Sarasota, Florida, and Columbus, Georgia. Vanessa earned her Bachelor’s degree in History and Secondary Education in 2011 and her Master’s degree in Secondary Social Sciences in 2019, both from Columbus State University.

 

MI educator Matthew Vriesman honored as 2023 History Teacher of the Year

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Congratulations are due to Matthew Vriesman, a high school History teacher from Michigan. He has been honored by The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History as their 2023 National History Teacher of the Year.

Matthew teaches at East Kentwood High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan. There he instructs courses in AP (Advanced Placement) United States History, AP African American Studies, and AP World History. He also serves as the Model United Nations Director on his campus.

In naming Matthew as their winner, the selection committee specifically cited his exceptional ability to tell the story of American history within the context of his very diverse local community. His efforts include working with the Grand Rapids Museum to tell the story of the Great Migration through the experiences of Black migrants to the city of Grand Rapids. They were also impressed by Matthew’s lead in having his students use historical archives and primary source documents to build a historic virtual tour of western Michigan.

Lindsay Kimbrough, Assistant Principal at East Kentwood High, cannot heap enough praise on the outstanding educator. “While Mr. Vriesman’s knowledge of content is superior, he can forge relationships with all students that truly mold their passion for learning and understanding history. His passion for the students and his dedication to making content relevant for all students sets him apart,” Kimbrough asserts.

Now in its 20th year, the National History Teacher of the Year Award highlights the crucial importance of history education by honoring exceptional American history teachers at the elementary and high school levels. The annual award honors one K–12 teacher from each state, the District of Columbia, Department of Defense schools, and US territories and names one of the state winners the National History Teacher of the Year. As part of his recognition, Matthew received a check for $10,000.