Recently, MCPS announced the three finalists for the Teacher of the Year Award. This prestigious annual award is given to a teacher who inspires their students and other teachers to achieve their best.
This year’s finalists are Kristen Kane, a kindergarten teacher at Forest Knolls Elementary School; Edwina A. Kollo, a math content specialist at Shady Grove Middle School; and Janet Gallagher, a Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School resource teacher.
Kane has served at Forest Knolls since 2011 as a kindergarten teacher, a team grade leader and PTA staff liaison. Through her participation on a support team, she promotes positive behavior improvement among students.
Kane distinguishes herself from other teachers through her unique instructional methods, which encourage student choice and appeal to diverse learners. She is also skilled in working with students with special needs, such as those in ESOL programs or those who have learning disabilities. Previously, Kane has taught at Bel Pre and Highland View elementary schools.
Kollo first began teaching as a long-term substitute teacher after a career in education sales. “Students not only need to understand the processes for solving problems, but they need to be able to connect their learning with prior learning and real-world experience so they are able to apply the math,” she said.
Kollo also created an Algebra I Club to assist low-performing students. This club includes an after-school program and an Algebra Town Hall to prepare students for their math classes.
Gallagher has served as a math resource teacher for three years and has previously worked at Damascus High School in the past. Through her involvement in the Multidisciplinary Education, Training, and Support Program (METS) and diverse AP Statistics courses, she sets an example for other resource teachers by teaching the most vulnerable students.
Gallagher created a STEM initiative to encourage freshmen to take higher level math and science classes. She also organized the Principal’s STEM Advisory Board to motivate students to work on their problem solving skills.
Finalists for the award must have five or more years of teaching experience in Montgomery County and attend an interview with Board of Education members, MCPS staff, PTA representatives, and a Greenblatt family member. The award is sponsored by the Marian Greenblatt Fund, which awards each of the three finalists with $2,000.
The Marian Greenblatt Fund also supports a Rising Star Teacher of the Year Award, which is the equivalent award for teachers with less than five years of teaching experience. This year’s honorees are Erin Crowley, a kindergarten teacher at Somerset Elementary School and Helene McLaughlin, a science teacher at Northwood High School. The two teachers will be awarded $1,000 each for their accomplishments.
The 2018 MCPS Teacher of the Year will be announced at the Champions for Children Awards Celebration on April 18th at the BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown.
Article by MoCo Student staff writer Michelle Ling of Richard Montgomery High School