Stoney Creek High School Language Arts teacher Cara Lougheed named Michigan State’s 2019 Teacher of the Year.

I enjoy sharing stories about educators that have earned accolades for their dedication and hard work in the classroom. One of these is Cara Lougheed, a high school Language Arts and Social Studies teacher from Michigan. She has been named her state’s 2019 Teacher of the Year.

Cara has taught in Rochester Community School District for the past 21 years. She inaugurated her career at Rochester High School in 1998, and then transferred to Stoney Creek High School when it opened in the Fall of 2001. She has taught Advanced Placement and remedial courses for students in the ninth through the twelfth grades.

“The most rewarding thing is getting through to kids, building those relationships, and helping kids see their potential when they don’t see it in themselves,” declared Cara. “Especially in my last 10 years, I have paid a lot more attention to young girls – helping them see that they can have an opinion,” she continued.

In addition to her classroom responsibilities, Cara has served on committees to design curriculum, improve school climate, and increase attendance. Over the past decade, she has mentored six student teachers from four different universities. She has also served as a building representative for her local teachers’ union and she has served as a delegate for the National Education Association.

Cara is also working on a myriad of other education-related projects. Currently, Cara is serving as a student intern and mentor liaison to Oakland University (OU). She is working collaboratively with the Michigan Program Network (MiPN) and TeachingWorks to improve and strengthen the teacher education program. In addition, Cara is an advisory member of OU’s Vision 20/20 committee, which solicits the input of classroom teachers in making improvements to teacher education.

To read more about this Chalkboard Champion, see the story at this link: Bridge Magazine.