Elementary teacher Laura Chang: Michigan’s 2018 State Teacher of the Year.

Michigan has announced elementary school teacher Laura Chang is the state’s Teacher of the Year for 2018. Laura, whose career as an educator has spanned 19 years, teaches at Sunset Lake Elementary in the Vicksburg Community School district in Kalamazoo County, Michigan. She currently teaches math and reading to kindergarten through fifth grade learners in an intervention setting.

Previously, Laura has taught pre-K, first/second grade multi-age, second grade, and third grade. In addition, she has worked as an instructional consultant and academic coach. She also serves as a mentor coach and district technology integration leader. And as if all this isn’t enough, she also teaches undergraduate and graduate level courses in the Special Education and Literacy Studies Department at Western Michigan University.

Laura earned both her Bachelor’s degree in Education (1999) and her Master’s degree in Education (2004)  from Western Michigan University located in Kalamazoo.

Laura has an obvious passion for her profession. “Teachers must have a passion for their work when they walk into a classroom each day,” asserts Laura. “I’m passionate about my students’ academic, behavior and socio-emotional growth and success,” she continues. “Our students look to their teachers for hope, for guidance, for encouragement, and for inspiration. What my students may not realize, though, is that those are the things that they give to me each day when I walk into my classroom,” she concludes.