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Charles Whittaker
HVAC Teacher, Center of Applied Technology - North
“We all have the ability to educate, empower, encourage, and embolden our kids for every challenge that comes their way with wisdom and authority. We have what it takes to move students to careers they never aspired to.”
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Jing Dai
Chinese Teacher, Meade High School
"Effective teachers never work alone. We must work collaboratively to share a variety of ideas and resources, focus on critical thinking and reflection, and support each other. Learning to teach is an ongoing journey. I will always have something to learn to become a better teacher, but that is my motivation."
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Emily Davis
Language Arts Teacher, Brooklyn Park Middle School
“First and foremost, for me this is about being a voice for my students, for my school, and for other teachers in Anne Arundel County. I am committed to supporting the furthering of equity professional development, to filling in those gaps that exist for a lot of our students, and to representing the amazing teachers that we have in this county.”
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Teresa Beilstein
2019-2020 Maryland State Teacher of the Year
Third Grade Teacher, South Shore Elementary School
"This profession is truly an honor. It is the intersection of my passion and purpose. I am so lucky to have a career that fulfills me as a person. It’s more than I could ever ask for and I’m honored to represent my colleagues across the state.”
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Heather Carnaghan
2018-2019 Maryland State Teacher of the Year Finalist
Eighth Grade Teacher, Monarch Global Academy Public Contract School
“How do we become the teachers that inspire great connection in the world through great connection in our classrooms?... Let’s let every action and word that we choose remind them that they are loved and honored because those are connections that matter.”
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Josh Carroll
2017-2018 Maryland State Teacher of the Year
STEM Teacher, South River High School
“The most important thing I can do to help a student achieve is to help that student understand that they have somebody caring about them, somebody wanting them to be successful. That starts with relationships. I am truly blessed to work at South River High School where we have a principal and administrative staff who believe in and value the power of relationships.” Learn more about Josh Carroll.
Watch Mr. Carroll's AACPS Teacher of the Year acceptance speech.
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Katrina Griffin
2016 National Foreign Language Teacher of the Year
Finalist, 2016 Maryland State Teacher of the Year
German Teacher, North County High School
"I am the guide and facilitator in the classroom, planning for learning and providing resources and space for students to become proficient in the German language and culture. It is not my job to tell students what to think, rather it is my responsibility to teach them how to think."
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Jennie Merrill
Finalist, 2015 Maryland Teacher of the Year
5th Grade Teacher, Severna Park Elementary School
"It is my job, duty, and privilege to unlock a child’s gift every day. It is my mission to believe in each student and look for that spark inside of them that makes them special or 'gifted.' I believe that each child has a spark inside of them that shines brighter than any other that when unlocked, will lead to a new world of possibilities."
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Christina Houstian
Social Studies Teacher, Broadneck High School
"Whether students are in kindergarten or working toward a doctorate in graduate school, they need to engage, to be creative and become deeply involved in what they are learning. They need to be able ask questions, find answers, and they need to learn how to fall down and get right back up again. Most of all, our students deserve a teacher who believes in them; a teacher who expects them to struggle, to embrace challenges, and to learn more than they ever thought themselves capable of learning."
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Jodi Hogan
Finalist, 2013 Maryland Teacher of the Year
Spanish Teacher, South River High School
"I want my students to know they can accomplish anything they desire and more with determination and the encouragement of adults who care about them."
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Martha Gardner
5th Grade, Belvedere Elementary
“If you are part of my life you are family... I get butterflies at the beginning of each school year in anticipation of the new class of learners about to join me on a yearlong adventure. I am excited to see their faces on the first day. These smiling uncertain people don't know it yet but they have just met the newest member of their family-me.”
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Laura Groo
6th Grade/Language Arts, Southern Middle School
“It is my responsibility and privilege to grow students beyond their expectations and instill in them a love for learning, preparing them to be productive participants in a global community that desperately needs them to be their best.”
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Erin C. Sullivan
English as a Second Language, Glen Burnie High School
“When students come to me with their problems, I acknowledge how hard they have to work to overcome them, but i do not allow them to use that as an excuse to be unsuccessful.”
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Donna McAllister
English Grade 8, George Fox Middle School
“My greatest accomplishment as a teacher is getting a letter a year, two, or five years later from a student who simply says “Thank You”- thank you because I have influenced her life in the same way that many of my teachers influenced who I am today.”
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Clayton Culp
Mathematics 9-12 grade, Broadneck High School
“By his example and his efforts, Mr. Culp has taught our students a valuable lesson about the importance of helping others and the power we have to make a difference.”
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Alicia Appel
English Teacher, Southern High School
“I will do whatever it takes ... and ‘it’ changes every year. At the beginning of every semester I immediately assess my students’ academic skills, gain their trust by showing genuine interest in their lives and respecting them for who they are, develop meaningful lessons that are pertinent to their specific needs, train them to work hard, and insist on the highest level of standards when it comes to the performance of each kid for 86 minutes every day of the year.”
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Read stories by past AACPS Teacher of the Year winners and nominees that take you inside some of the best classrooms in Anne Arundel County.
