SCC Education Program Alumnae Named Teachers of the Year at Ft. Zumwalt School District

Published: 03/11/2021

Being named Teacher of the Year is a proud and memorable moment for any teacher. It was no different for Aimee Merideth and Allyson Leyen in the Ft. Zumwalt School District this year. Merideth was named the Teacher of the Year at Emge Elementary, and Leyen was named Teacher of the Year at JL Mudd Elementary. Both got their start at St. Charles Community College.

“SCC classes and teachers prepared me for the workload that comes with being an educator,” said Leyen. “As a teacher, you are constantly creating activities, making lesson plans, creating data tracking sheets, etc. Managing my workload in college with my life outside of school has prepared me to balance my teacher workload with my other jobs and personal life outside of school.”

“The education program at SCC taught me communication skills, classroom management and how to create detail and effective lesson plans,” Merideth added, “The courses allowed me opportunities to begin trying different strategies to find my own theory and practices as an educator. The professors taught me how to support and encourage all learners, which is so important."

The major purpose of the Missouri Teacher of the Year program is to recognize the contributions of the classroom teacher. According to the program website, “teacher quality and effectiveness is the most important school-based factor impacting student learning. No one person has a greater impact on the education of a child than does the teacher who creates the learning environment where children flourish and grow.”

It's a sentiment Leyen and Meredith bring into the classroom every day.

“I love building relationships with my students. I love getting to know them as a person, not just a student in my class,” said Leyen. “It helps me understand their behaviors, the way they learn, what they need, and what they want.”

“As a special education teacher, I love providing my students and their families with a positive supporter,” explained Meredith. “The best part is creating positive interactions with students to make the learning environment fun, even when the student may have additional challenges or obstacles impacting their learning.”

Meredith and Leyen will now be considered for the Ft. Zumwalt District Teacher of the Year honor.