Vermont elementary school teacher Aziza Malik has been named her state’s 2024 Teacher of the Year. Photo Credit: Colchester Sun
I am always excited to share the story of an outstanding teacher who has earned recognition for their work in the classroom. Today I share the story of Aziza Malik, an elementary school teacher from Vermont. She has been named her state’s 2024 Teacher of the Year by the Vermont Agency of Education.
Aziza teaches fifth grades at Champlain Elementary School in Burlington. She has taught there for the past 14 years. In her classroom, the honored teacher emphasizes connections between the Burlington School District and the local Indigenous population, the Abenaki. “Opportunities to weave in Indigenous ways of knowing and being are everywhere,” asserts Aziza. “I’m not talking about designing curriculum that teaches about Abenaki culture, I’m talking about using the lens of Abenaki culture to learn literacy, science and math skills; and writing, advocacy, collaboration and communication,” she explains.
She is also a big believer in hands-on learning. For example, she recently led her students on a field trip where they collected acorns, dogwood, and willow bare roots f to plant in their native tree nursery. Once the plants are grown, the students will distribute them throughout the city of Burlington.
In fact, through community partnerships, Aziza secured an intern to help plan, maintain, and assist teachers in developing the school grounds into an active outdoor classroom. The internship evolved into a full-time garden educator position, connecting teachers’ curriculum to hands-on garden activities in the growing months and cooking activities in the winter. This position, piloted under her leadership at Champlain Elementary, has expanded to become a model program across other schools in her district.
Aziz earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Humboldt State University in Acata, California. She earned her Master’s degree in Leadership for Sustainability from the University of Vermont (UVM). In 2022, she garnered the UVM Outstanding Teacher Award. Currently, Aziza is a participant in the Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms program, a program that is focused on creating international connections.
