Sanderson High Teacher is 2011 Wake County Teacher of the Year
May 12, 2011 – The Wake County Public School System named Sanderson High teacher Stephanie Rhodes as the 2011 Wake County Teacher of the Year.
Superintendent Tony Tata presented Rhodes the Wake County Teacher of the Year Award sponsored by Wachovia Bank at tonight's banquet. Tata praised Rhodes for teaching students with projects where they learn the curriculum and lessons about life. Rhodes received applause from hundreds of community and education leaders attending the event.
 Stephanie Rhodes 2011 Wake County Teacher of the Year |
Rhodes is a Social Studies Teacher
Rhodes teaches Civics and Economics and Honors Sociology at Sanderson High School. Rhodes has been teaching for 10 years, all at Sanderson.
Her parents were elementary school teachers in Virginia. Her dad taught physical education and worked at the same school for 35 years. Her mom taught fifth grade and she remembers going to school with her on workdays.
“We lived in a town south of Richmond and I was surrounded by Revolutionary and Civil War history,” said Rhodes. “We were constantly visiting museums, national parks and historical sites. This is where I developed my love of history and decided I wanted to teach social studies.”
Rhodes earned National Board Certification in 2006. She has served on the school’s leadership team and faculty council, and is a staff trainer for the use of professional learning teams. She is the student council advisor, varsity volleyball coach, member of the Student Support Team and Coalition for the Homeless club sponsor.
Rhodes says it’s important to her to know her students.
“The longer I teach, the more I realize that students do not buy into the academic curriculum; they buy into the relationship with the teacher and how she teaches the curriculum,” said Rhodes. “I believe small things outside the classroom - such as taking the time to listen, recognizing student success, or talking about a student’s interests - helps build a rapport so I can address academic needs in the classroom.”
Rhodes teamed up with the school’s autism support teacher for their students to work together. Rhodes’ students presented a lesson to the other class on the impact of bullying.
“The students’ reactions were overwhelming,” said Rhodes. “The classes formed a group called Friends Intent on Stopping Torment. They made a program about the effects of bullying and presented it to 15 classes at our school. The response was so great that my new classes this semester continued the program presenting it to all ninth graders.”
Sanderson Social Studies Department Chair Meredith Carle says Rhodes is an innate leader.
“She is the teacher sharing ideas, activities, web sites and insights at each meeting,” said Carle. “She is the teacher setting the tone of professionalism and commitment. She is the teacher who sets the pace for covering curriculum. She is the teacher who bridges our curriculum to other courses and departments in our school. She is the teacher we turn to first for insight and encouragement.”
Teacher of the Year Gifts
As the Wake County Teacher of the Year, Rhodes will represent Wake County in the North Carolina Teacher of the Year competition. She succeeds Elizabeth Plotkin, a Fuller Magnet Elementary School teacher and the 2010 Wake County Teacher of the Year.
Wake County's Teacher of the Year receives:
- An engraved acrylic award;
- A $100 Gift Card, compliments of Belk, Inc.;
- An Autobell car wash gift certificate, compliments of Jordan Driving School;
- A Clinique gift bag, compliments of Clinique-Belks, Inc.;
- A HP Pavilion Mini Notebook laptop computer and an HP Photosmart Printer compliments of Office Depot and Hewlett Packard;
- A travel cart filled with various classroom and office supplies compliments of Michael Mann of Office Depot;
- A check for $1000 compliments of our corporate sponsors; and
- A $2,500 award toward participation in the Center for International Understanding’s global study program compliments of The Center for International Understanding, a Dan Royster memorial. The award will provide support for Wake County’s 2011 Teacher of the Year to participate in the Center for International Understanding’s June 2012 Study Program to Denmark.
The Dan Royster Teacher award was established as a tribute and memorial to Dan Royster, a Wake County science teacher and enthusiastic international exchange participant. The award is funded through contributions from his family and friends.
Candidates for Teacher of the Year are nominated and elected by their peers. The teacher candidates develop portfolios that describe their teaching careers and philosophy of teaching. The selection committees review the portfolios and narrow the field to 24 semifinalists. The selection committees observe the semifinalists in their classrooms and each committee chooses one teacher to be among the 12 finalists. The finalists are interviewed by the Teacher of the Year Interview Committee. Based upon the interview, the committee then chooses the Teacher of the Year by secret ballot.
Finalists
The finalists are Leslie Bailey of Baileywick Elementary, Kevin Boynton of Dillard Drive Elementary, Ashley Cooper of Underwood Magnet Elementary, Kristen Curley of Oak Grove Elementary, Rhonda Dunn of Zebulon Magnet Middle, Kyle Hamstra of Davis Drive Elementary, Mary-Kathryn Hixson of Broughton High, Shireen Mehl of Fuquay-Varina Elementary, Alicia Miller of Wake Forest Elementary, Saswati Mukherjee of Farmington Woods Magnet Elementary and Patrick Tart of Banks Road Elementary.
The eleven finalists received a $250 cash prize compliments of corporate sponsors; an Autobell car wash gift certificate, compliments of Jordan Driving School; a Clinique gift bag, compliments of Clinique-Belks, Inc.; a travel cart, filled with various classroom and office supplies compliments of Michael Mann of Office Depot; and an engraved acrylic award.
This is the eighth year that Wachovia Bank has sponsored the Wake County Teacher of the Year Award and banquet.
More information is available at 2011 Wake County Teacher of the Year Finalists at http://www.wcpss.net/news/2011_may10_toy_finalists/
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