Fourth grade teacher honored as outstanding educator
July 2nd, 2009South Central Service Cooperative and the Center for Academic Excellence have announced that a classroom teacher from Sibley East Public Schools, Sheila Knacke, has been named as a regional honoree in the WEM Foundation’s 2009 Outstanding Educator Awards program.
Sheila Knacke is a 1988 graduate of Gaylord High School and has been teaching at Sibley East for 16 years.
Knacke has been teaching for 16 years and is currently a fourth grade teacher at Gaylord Elementary. She has a self-driven desire to explore new teaching strategies and improve existing curriculum. She has helped implement Responsive Classroom procedures, small guided groups in reading and math, problem-solving-based math centers and Author’s Cycle in her school. Using the Responsive Classroom techniques, she creates an environment in which students feel respected, safe and secure. She uses her SMART Board to reach out to her students with hands-on lessons that are fun and involving for all students.
She also created the The Youngest Book Club in Town, which she started because of her love of books, desire to serve the community and passion to promote lifelong learners. This book club, designed for fourth through sixth-graders, gives students something positive to do and look forward to after school. The club is held at the local library and books were purchased through a grant for which Knacke applied.
Knacke is committed to her work and her students. When the district fell below expectancy for math scores, Knacke volunteered to teach the entire fourth grade math and to become involved with a math professional learning community where solutions are sought to close the achievement gap for students.
She reaches out to the community by scheduling time each month to have parents, grandparents and community members come into her classroom to read with her students. She also opens her doors to parents and guardians to come before, during and after school, and takes time to teach parents new strategies to try to help their children at home.
The WEM Educator Awards program was created by the WEM Foundation, and is administered by the Center for Academic Excellence, in partnership with the service cooperative members of The Minnesota Service Cooperatives (MSC). The WEM Foundation supports teachers and their important role in helping all children achieve academically. The awards program, now in its eleventh year, has helped recognize education’s often “unsung heroes” and educators who daily meet the challenges and opportunities of teaching in a variety of settings.
Educators are nominated by students, students’ parents, colleagues or community members. Those who accept the nomination provide additional information for review and consideration by the Center for Academic Excellence and a blue ribbon selection panel, which reviews and ranks the nominees.
Six educators received statewide honors, and 10 educators were named as regional honorees for the 2009 WEM Foundation Outstanding Educator Awards.
