Two teachers have been named as the 2018-19 Teachers of the Year. The Teacher of the Year finalists are chosen by a selection committee who review all campus teachers of the year and identify the top three candidates from elementary and secondary education. Each finalist then participates in an external interview process with professors from TWU who identify the top teacher.
The elementary Teacher of the Year is Heather Carson, a fourth grade teacher at Carol Holt Elementary.
Heather Carson teaches fourth grade math and science at Carol Holt Elementary. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Multidisciplinary Studies with a specialization in English as a Second Language from Texas Tech University. Her mission is to increase student engagement in the classroom by movement and extraordinary educational experiences. She stands true to her values by always putting her scholars first, building positive relationships with parents and scholars, amping up academic rigor, challenging her scholars to think beyond the standards, and always keep learning as an educator.
“She’s the kind of teacher you wish you had in elementary school,” said Thelma Foster, principal at Carol Holt. “The teachers admire her and respect her and I think they all want to be her when they grow up. I want to be Heather when I grow up.”
The secondary Teacher of the Year is David Roberson, the culinary arts teacher at Ben Barber Innovation Academy.
David L. Roberson was born and raised in Oklahoma City, OK. Sooner born and bred, Roberson is the youngest of eight children which helped develop his character as a person, chef and educator. He is a Culinary Arts instructor for grades 9-12 at Ben Barber Innovation Academy and is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Christian Education with a concentration in Theology from Liberty University. Chef Roberson co-wrote the curriculum for Culinary Arts, which includes ProStart industry certification and Certificate of Achievement developing real world opportunities on and off campus.
“Not only does he love the students, which is very important, he loves the staff,” said Ben Barber principal, Catherine Hudgins. “He brings a bright light to us every day he is on campus.”
All engineers start somewhere, but in Mansfield ISD young engineers can get a head start at the Jerry Knight STEM Academy. The academy, located at Brooks Wester Middle School, offers students an advanced academic program designed to provide a rigorous and focused course of study.
This week the academy hosted Engineering Week, a national initiative started by Discover E, a foundation aimed to increase engineering education in grade schools.
“The goal of Engineering Week was to help expose our kids to different types of engineers and careers so that they might be able to make better educated decisions to know what they’re going to study in high school and possibly college,” said Laura Thomason, a designer (teacher) at Jerry Knight.
Approximately 30 presenters ranging from coders to pilots and everything in between spoke with students this Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Knight designers also spent time helping students implement what they had learned in the classroom using activities like vision boards.
The presentations gave students a better understanding of possible STEM careers and offered insight on future career paths.
Nathan Ninh, a sixth-grader at Jerry Knight with aspirations of becoming an astronaut said, “I’ve learned that there is a lot of design that goes into engineering and that you have to think outside the box on most jobs, and I think that you also have to have a lot of good team skills.”
Jason Daniels, a software developer for Saddle Oak Software who has a daughter at the academy, enjoyed the opportunity to talk about his job with other students.
“I’m very excited to be here today,” said Daniels. “I love what they’ve been doing here with the kids and how they’re teaching them the engineering practices.”
Both students and teachers think Engineering Week provides a unique and much needed perspective.
“I feel this week is important because it helps us learn about things I feel like we would never learn from anywhere else,” said Ninh.
Mansfield ISD's mission is to inspire and educate students to be productive citizens. In alignment with this mission, one of the guiding statements in the district's Vision 2020 Strategic Plan is that students will demonstrate mastery of Algebra I by the end of ninth grade.
"The reason I'm teaching is to help kids love math as much as I do," said first-year teacher Kate Gustafson from Della Icenhower Intermediate School.
Watch more on how MISD teachers are laying that groundwork for students.
To view Mansfield ISD's full Vision 2020 Strategic Plan, visit the MISD website.
