We are excited to announce our Elementary Teacher of the Year for the 2020/2021 school year: Ashley Baldwin.
Mrs. Baldwin’s first two years of teaching were with McDonald County school district where she received the Golden Apple Teacher Award in 2012. She joined the Wyandotte Public School district in 2013 as a fifth grade teacher and has been impacting the lives of our fifth grade students since. Mrs. Baldwin was also named DARE Educator of the Year for 2018. This award came with a recognition ceremony and a variety of other incentives.
There were a whole lot of fantastic nominations to look through and discuss with our Teacher of the Year committee, but the sheer volume of nominations for Mrs. Baldwin and our own appreciation of her top notch teaching and service to the district seems to have swayed the members as the voting process is still anonymous. Here are some examples of things said about Mrs. Baldwin in the nomination process:
When I taught middle school math, I could tell which students were Mrs. Baldwin's without even knowing which class they were in, simply by their math vocabulary, work ethic, and engagement. The students would pull out an interactive notebook they had created in Mrs. Baldwin's class to use as a reference. As the years have gone by, I have attended professional developments with Mrs. Baldwin. She is constantly creating engaging lessons, reflecting on those lessons, and adjusting them to better suit her students. Connections with students and engagement in the classroom are among her strongest attributes. She does it without regard to how she will be praised or rewarded. She is intrinsically motivated. She is always willing to help her peers with technology, lesson development, and professional development. She inspires me to make connections with students and peers in a similar manner.
Ashley's continued investment in students' education is her greatest contribution in Wyandotte Education. She follows her students and lets them know she cares not only about their education, but also about their general well-being. The students know her caring demeanor is genuine and heart-felt.
Ashley takes great pride and effort in her lessons. Not only are her lessons insightful and engaging, but she gets complete buy-in from her students of all academic levels. She brings out the best in her students. She has consistently had very good test scores to prove it.
Ashley has grown in leaps and bounds in teaching remotely. She reaches out to her peers when she has a struggle and is constantly bettering herself. She is not ok with status quo. Her efforts are admirable and productive.
She reaches the needs of all students in her room and does a great job engaging student in conversation.
I have seen that students of all abilities flourish in her room.
She is always ready to try new teaching styles and tries to use a variety of methods to keep students and fellow teachers engaged.
Ashley cares deeply for each of her students and strives to get to know each of them on a personal level. She goes above and beyond in making sure that all of her students are given every opportunity to succeed without taking away from the standards required by the state.
Ashley follows the standards closely and works diligently to also make lessons fun, hands-on and technology current. Ashley has been a huge help in making our virtual time a success.
Ashley is a team player and a leader. She is always willing to even go out of her way to help other teachers.
Ashley Baldwin is always game for anything that will make our students enjoy their time at school. She works on bulletin boards, hallway decorations, and activities that are designed to engage students.
Mrs. Baldwin’s building principal, Jennie Butterfield said, “Mrs. Baldwin is a leader in technology in our district. She has attended a variety of professional development opportunities and is always willing to bring her knowledge gained back to share with others such as her knowledge of technology platforms. Mrs. Baldwin has devoted much time and energy into building relationships with parents and students. When asking a current student of Mrs. Baldwin’s “tell me one word you would use to describe your teacher and why”? The student said her one word is “POSITIVE” because she is always helping kids see the positive and always helps kids who are struggling and reminds them they can do it! Mrs. Baldwin is a breath of fresh air in our building. She has a smile to offer everyone, even on her tough days. Mrs. Baldwin is a leader in the teaching profession and will continue to excel throughout her career.”
Another former student said, “there isn’t just one word to describe her. Mrs. Baldwin helped me get through a lot. She was the one that was there for me when my mom and dad were getting divorced.” It’s easy to see why Mrs. Baldwin’s influence goes well beyond the classroom.
Help us congratulate Mrs. Baldwin as a well-deserving teacher as our Elementary Teacher of the Year. Thank you Mrs. Baldwin!