Category Archives: Teachers

HISD celebrates 2016 Educators of the Year

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The Houston Independent School District on Friday paid tribute to the district’s top elementary and secondary teachers of the year during the fifth annual Educators of the Year banquet, which honors exceptional teachers and principals.

Hillary Smith, a fifth-grade reading teacher at DeAnda Elementary School, was named HISD Elementary Teacher of the Year, while Christina Carter-Woods, a seventh-grade reading teacher at Pershing Middle School, was named HISD Secondary Teacher of the Year.

Smith and Carter-Woods each received a $3,500 cash award and an engraved plaque. They also will advance to the state’s regional Teacher of the Year competition. Continue reading →

HISD educators to ‘pass the cape’ at Friday event

Superhero-themed banquet to honor teacher and principals of the year

HISD will honor its principals and teachers at a superheroes themed Educators of the Year banquet on Friday, May 20, at the Bayou City Event center. In addition to announcing the elementary and secondary 2016 HISD Teachers of the Year from a select group of 12 finalists, the banquet will recognize the 2015 winners as they “pass the cape” to a new group of honorees.

In the spirit of this year’s theme, we asked the 2015 Principals and Teachers of the Year a few superhero-related questions. Continue reading →

Meet the Finalists for Teacher of the Year and Beginning Teacher of the Year  

Winners to be announced at May 20 banquet 

Nearly 2,000 HISD teachers, along with district and school leaders, will gather on Friday, May 20, at the Bayou City Event Center for a superheroes-themed Educators of the Year banquet. The sold-out event, sponsored by Cigna, will honor campus-based teachers of the year and beginning teachers of the year. Fifteen finalists are vying for top district honors, which include elementary teacher of the year, secondary teacher of the year, and beginning teacher of the year.

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Teach Forward Houston fellows commit to four-year teaching program 

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Some 60 seniors from 31 HISD high schools on Tuesday pledged to become teachers and return to the district to teach in four years as part of the prestigious Teach Forward Houston program.

“I will commit to my studies at the University of Houston in order to enter my classroom with the foundational knowledge, skills, and mindsets necessary to maximize student achievement and character development,” they recited in unison at Teach Forward Houston’s inaugural signing day celebration on May 3 in the Hattie Mae White board auditorium.

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HISD celebrates Teacher Appreciation Week, will host special ceremony for fellowship program

The Houston Independent School District will extend its thanks to nearly 12,000 teachers who serve in HISD classrooms during Teacher Appreciation Week, May 2— May 6.

On Teacher Appreciation Day, scheduled for Tuesday, May 3, HISD will host a ceremony for seniors who were accepted into the district’s new Teach Forward Houston program. Through the Teach Forward Houston fellowship program, HISD graduates interested in obtaining a degree in education are eligible for free tuition at University of Houston in exchange for teaching four years in HISD after graduation.

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Who is your teacher hero? 

Teacher-Appreciation-Instagram-Banner-800px-800pxShare your photos, videos, and messages on social media 

While they may not wear capes, HISD teachers truly are real-life superheroes. As part of National Teacher Appreciation Week (May 2-6), HISD is asking students, parents, and staff to thank a teacher hero in their lives and share out on social media.

Take a picture with your favorite teacher (past or present) or take a picture of your child with his or her favorite teacher and post on social media using the hashtags #HISDHero and #ThankATeacher. If your favorite teacher is not nearby, take a selfie holding a piece of paper with a simple message thanking that teacher who made a difference in your life.

Or better yet, surprise an HISD teacher using your camera cell phone and tell them why they are your teacher hero. Check out the video below and watch as Westbury High School students give a surprise thank you to their teachers and even their principal.

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HISD will be sharing the posts on its own social media channels, so be sure to follow us on Twitter @HoustonISD and like us at Facebook.com/HoustonISD.

 

 

Help determine the ‘Fan Favorite’ for HISD’s Educators of the Year banquet

HISD will honor teachers and principals at a superhero-themed ceremony on Friday, May 20. HISD’s Educators of the Year banquet, sponsored by Cigna, will reveal the district’ elementary and secondary Teachers of the Year, but back by popular demand, will also be the announcement of the “Fan Favorite.”

The districtwide elementary and secondary Teachers of the Year are determined using performance data and other criteria, but last year the Fan Favorite category was created so the HISD community could vote on social media for their favorite elementary and secondary teacher.

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‘Caught in the Act’ spotlights Furr HS teacher

Creativity, costumes, and nature used to engage students 

HISD “Caught in the Act” cameras, along with Chief Secondary Curriculum and Instruction Officer Annie Wolfe, recently captured an out-of-the-box and creative instructional lesson during a visit to the classroom of Furr High School teacher David de Hoyos Salazar.

During the 40 minute lesson, students in Salazar’s environmental sciences class left the school building and traveled to a nearby park to take part in an interactive activity that required critical thinking, collaboration, and adaptability. Watch the video below to see how Salazar, dressed as the movie character Indiana Jones, uses some creative teaching techniques to engage his students.

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HISD teachers featured in new ad campaign

If you went to see a movie in the past week, chances are you might have seen several HISD teachers during the previews. HISD’s Human Resources Department recently launched an ad campaign aimed at enticing teachers who live in Houston and the surrounding suburbs to come “Teach in the City.” The recruitment campaign includes a 30-second segment currently playing at several movie theaters across Houston, four highway billboards, and a new website.

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“Teach in the City” features a half dozen HISD teachers, including Morgan Greco, a first-year teacher at Herod Elementary School. “I am thrilled to be part of this effort to recruit both new and veteran teachers,” said Greco. “I love working for HISD. As a first-year teacher right out of college, I have more support than I could have ever imagined.”

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Two HISD educators surprised with 2016 H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards

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Two HISD educators were surprised by H-E-B on Wednesday with news that they are finalists for the 2016 H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards, one of the largest monetary programs for educators in Texas and the nation.

Bellaire High School teacher and international baccalaureate coordinator Ann Linsley was recognized as a teacher finalist, while North Houston Early College High School Principal Angela Lundy-Jackson was named a principal finalist for the H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards.

The two are among eight educators from across Houston and 40 across the state who were selected as award finalists. They now will go on to compete at the state level, where they will have the chance to win additional cash prizes.

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