Highland, Triad teachers Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award winners
Two local teachers were honored Sunday, Nov. 22 as recipients of Emerson Excellence in Teaching Awards.
Linda Bartlett, a fifth-grade teacher at Highland Elementary School, and Kristine Beer, a special education teacher at Triad Middle School, were among the 102 educators from throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area honored.
Recipients were selected by their schools’ administration to celebrate their achievements and dedication to the teaching profession. The 26th annual ceremony/reception, where recipients received Tiffany & Co. crystal apples, were held at Clayton Ritz-Carlton.
“Emerson is proud to showcase the St. Louis-area’s most dedicated educators for continuing to strengthen local students’ love for learning and desire to succeed,” said Patrick J. Sly, Emerson executive vice president. “It is truly our honor to support these outstanding professionals whose passion for teaching inspires and motivates their students to achieve bright futures.”
Award recipients will have the opportunity to apply for a Gold Star Grant from Emerson, to be presented in spring 2016. Honorees from this year and the past five years are eligible to apply for the competitive grants, which are designed to fund educational projects that reflect the pillars of the Emerson brand — technology, innovation and leadership. Since 2006, Emerson has awarded $440,000 to area teachers and schools through the Gold Star Grant program.
Linda Bartlett
What Bartlett said:
“I’m very honored and surprised to receive this award. There were a lot of wonderful teachers who also received this award with me. I love my profession. I try to always focus on new procedures and concepts that students need to be successful in life. While academics are important, my one-on-one relationships with my students is just as important.”
What Susie Brauns, Highland elementary assistant principal, said: “Linda Bartlett is an outstanding teacher and we're very proud to have her at Highland Elementary. Her passion is math but she shines in every subject she teaches. She has been an integral part of our adoption of the new math series this year and has spent countless hours in the process. As a staff, we're lucky to work with her just as her students are very lucky to be taught by her.”
Kristine Beer
What Beer said:
“I am very excited to receive this award. Our classroom can be very challenging, but it’s also extremely rewarding to see kids develop academically, socially, and emotionally while they gain confidence and learn to recognize and deal with stress and daily challenges. It is a group effort, and the paraprofessionals in the classroom go above and beyond to help all students be successful.”
What Matthew Noyes, principal of Triad Middle School, said:
“Kristine models excellence in teaching on a daily basis at TMS. As a special education teacher for sixth-, seventh, and eighth- grade students, Kristine knows the importance of patience and flexibility. Her passion for reaching all students is evident, as she differentiates her instruction and programming to meet the diverse needs of students who are on the Autism Spectrum.
“As Triad Middle School’s Social Development Program (SDP) teacher, Kristine has used a variety of creative and innovative strategies to establish the expectations, routines, procedures, and group norms her students and families need.
“She is an extremely unselfish team-player, who communicates and collaborates with students, teachers, parents, social workers, and administrators in a positive and proactive manner. Kristine has what’s best for kids at heart at all times and in all settings. An unsung hero at Triad Middle School, Kristine is truly a ‘special’ educator.”
About the Award
The Excellence in Teaching Awards program began in 1989 and is sponsored annually by Emerson, a diversified global manufacturer and technology leader headquartered in St. Louis. Emerson and its Charitable Trust fund the Excellence in Teaching and Gold Star Grant programs. Under its Charitable Trust, the company gave $10.3 million to more than 640 educational organizations and institutions globally for the year ending September 2015.
This story was originally published December 14, 2015 at 3:23 AM with the headline "Highland, Triad teachers Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award winners."