TEACHERS
OF THE
YEAR KATIE KEIER
KINDERGARTEN TEACHER AT MOUNT
EAGLE ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL IN
ALEXANDRIA, VA
What are threethings
you use in your
classroom every day and
could never live without?
1. Books. We read books
all day! Our learning is
anchored in the texts
of our favorite authors,
characters and books that
are “windows, mirrors
and sliding glass doors.”
This is so we can see
ourselves, each other, new
and different worlds and
people, and be able to
journey to these places
through our reading.

NOMINATED BY:
LAURA MCCARTHY.

“Katie goes above and
beyond to create a dream
learning environment
for her students. She
has a fully loaded art
studio, open seating,
a pet hamster, an
imagination center and
a fully stocked classroom
library. Student artwork
hangs everywhere, and
the imagination station
is based off of the kids’
latest interests. Katie
strongly believes that
kindergarteners need
to learn through play.

She organizes multiple
fi eld trips to farms,
performances and local
parks. Her students have
two recesses a day: one
on the playground, and
the other in the front
garden to encourage
imaginative play. But
what really makes Katie
a standout educator is
her ability to connect
with her students and
their families. She sends
parents photos in her
weekly newsletter and
does home visits.

“Thanks to Katie, my
daughter had the most
amazing kindergarten
experience. She im-
mersed the students in
hands-on learning. There
were caterpillars to ob-
serve, pumpkins to mea-
sure, homemade play
dough and sculptures
inspired by Calder. These
students thrived! They
learned how to problem
solve! But most impor-
tantly, they were happy
kiddos! Katie deserves to
be recognized because
she does what every
teacher should do — she
fosters a love for lifelong
learning.” 14
September 2018
2. Blank paper books
and fl air pens. We write
and illustrate books
every day. Our stories,
our knowledge and our
learning experiences are
shared on the pages of
books we create.

What originally got you
interested in teaching?
I’ve always wanted to be
a teacher. I can’t imagine
doing anything else!
I remember playing
“school” from a very
early age. I loved my
second grade teacher,
Miss Allen, and enjoyed
being her helper. I would
stay in from recess to
grade papers and help
get the room ready for
the afternoon. My high
school French teacher,
Mme. Waters, infl uenced
me tremendously and
ultimately inspired me to
choose education as my
major in college.

Do you have any tried
and trusted ideas or
activities for motivating
students? I believe children are
motivated from within
when they are engaged.

They’re engaged when
they’re following their
washingtonFAMILY.com interests, passionate about
what they’re learning and
involved in inquiry and
projects that excite and
challenge them. I believe
in listening carefully to
children, build ing strong
relationships, following
their interests and
creating provocations and
experiences that refl ect
who they are. Going
beyond the curriculum,
we’ve explored monarch
butterfl ies, gardening,
peace, Pokemon,
dinosaurs, Minecraft,
maps, engineering, ramps,
various art forms and
more. Who knows what
this year might bring?
Children are capable,
brave human beings
that can do so much —
more than we can even
imagine. 3. Art and play. Children
thrive when they’re
in a beautiful space
that celebrates their
creativity. Having many
opportunities to create
art, enjoy art by famous
artists and each other,
listen to and make music,
dance, create make-
believe worlds and play (a
lot!) makes our classroom
a joyful place to live and
learn together. Through
art and play, kids can learn
to express themselves,
connect with others,
solve problems, develop
empathy, kindness and
imagine what’s possible.

Finish this sentence: If I
weren’t teaching,
I’d be …
living a life without joy.

Teaching brings me so
much joy, possibility and
hope for our future. I can’t
imagine ever not being a
teacher. It’s who I am.




TEACHERS
OF THE
YEAR MADELINE JACOBS
ROSENWALD FIFTH THROUGH
EIGHTH GRADE
SCIENCE TEACHER AT
GESHER JEWISH DAY
SCHOOL IN
FAIRFAX, VA
“The natural
curiosity that
children have
about the
world around
them is what
really got me
into teaching.”
NOMINATED BY:
SARA LAFOUNTAIN
“Madeline Rosenwald is
an amazing teacher and
leader at our school. She
teaches science to stu-
dents in fi fth through
eighth grade, and also
helps the kindergarten
through second grade
teachers integrate sci-
ence into their class-
rooms. Madeline also
volunteers as the ‘T’ part
of our PTO. She comes
to all of our meetings
and shares commu-
nications with all the
teachers. What originally got you
interested in teaching?
The natural curiosity that
children have about the
world around them is
what really got me into
teaching. I did some
outdoor education work
before getting into the
classroom, and I realized
that there is so much
for our students to take
in about how the world
works. I felt like I could
do a decent job to help
them make sense of it
all. And in that sense,
teaching found me.

Why do you think
teachers are important?
Teachers hold the keys
that open the doors of
possibilities for their
students. It is our job to
foster a love of learning in
each one of our students.

What is the single best
piece of advice you can
give parents of middle
schoolers? Give your child the tools
and skills necessary to
advocate for themselves.

This is a life skill. Students
need to learn how to
communicate their
struggles and needs,
because at some point,
they will be ready to fl y
and leave the nest.

Do you have any tried
and trusted ideas or
activities for motivating
students? Getting your students to
want to succeed is no easy
task. I always encourage a
little friendly competition in
the classroom. But when all
else fails, “Music Mondays”
are defi nitely encouraging
when there is independent
work to be done.

What are three things
you use in your
classroom every day and
could never live without?
1. My students. They’re
what make coming to
work so incredible, and
they’re what keep me
going throughout the day.

2. A silly rubber ball that
I throw around with the
kids when we need to take
a brain break.

3. My tea mug ... caffeine is
a necessity.

How can parents and
teachers work together
to empower and engage
children? Become a partner with
your children’s teachers.

We both want what is
best for them. A strong
partnership between
parents and teachers
can help foster student
success. What is the best thing
about teaching in your
area or school district?
I love our school
community — we’re like
one big family. There are
few words to describe
what we have. It is just
something you have to
experience by being a part
of it.

“Madeline also pulls off
one of the most exciting
events of the year: the
middle school dance.

She singlehandedly
transforms the school
into a theme. This year,
she turned our school
into a ’50s sock hop.

Last year, she trans-
formed it into ‘The Wiz-
ard of Oz.’ Besides being
an incredible leader,
Madeline makes science
fun for all the students.

She creates hands-on
experiments, and also
teaches the kids how
to be prepared for high
school and beyond.”
Finish this sentence: If I
weren’t teaching,
I’d be …
the principal of a middle
school. If I weren’t in
education, I’d be a
personal chef for dinner
parties and events.

washingtonFAMILY.com September 2018
15