TEACHER OF THE YEAR | mosocialstudies

MCSS 2022 Elementary Teacher of the Year
Emily Howarth, Nevada R-V School District

The MCSS 2022 Elementary Teacher of the Year comes to us from the Nevada R-V School District. Emily Howarth has taught 5th grade at Truman Elementary for the past 7 years. Emily showed early interest in teaching in high school, where she volunteered as a tutor for A+. Emily graduated from Nevada High School and attended Western Governors University, earning a Bachelors in both Special Education and Elementary Education. In addition to earning her Bachelors, Emily has also earned Master's degrees, from Western Governors University, in both Curriculum and Technology Education.

Emily’s colleagues nominated her for Teacher of the Year because of her passion for teaching, as demonstrated in her focus on developing engaging curriculum, seeking new and relevant resources, and her willingness to share with fellow teachers. Emily has used her knowledge and skills to encourage the teaching of social studies within the K-5 grades. She knows her content well and her students truly benefit from her continued exploration and learning about social studies.

Emily’s success in the classroom and beyond can be attributed to her positive philosophy of education…“I believe that all students can learn and it's our job to inspire them to want to learn. We do this by building positive relationships with the students and understanding that all students are unique and have their own strengths.” - Emily Howarth

Emily currently teachers 5th grade at Truman Elementary and resides in Nevada with her husband and children.

MCSS 2022 Middle School Teacher of the Year
Doug Snider, Robidoux Middle School
St. Joseph School District

Doug’s colleagues nominated him for Teacher of the Year because of his creative and energetic approach to teaching. Students would describe Mr. Snider’s classroom is lively and energetic, which creates a fun learning environment. His fellow educators believe his passion for teaching is one of the reasons why students are successful in his class. Doug’s content reflects on the importance of connecting the relevance of the content to his students' lives. His ability to design engaging lessons for both In-person and virtual learners play a large part in his success. His ability to reach today’s students through technology, project based learning, and cooperative learning is what makes him a valued educator.

Over the past few years, Doug has taken the time to adapt and learn for the 21st century student. He has participated in a BER workshop that pertains to teaching social studies in a distance learning environment. He has shared his knowledge with his fellow educators, helping them in developing engaging activities for their virtual classrooms. During the pandemic, he created an 8th grade American History course for the Canvas platform, to be used within the St. Joseph School District Virtual Academies.

Doug’s success in the classroom and beyond can be attributed to the positive relationships with his students as reflected in his own words…”As a teacher, I try my best to meet students halfway or as I like to say-”Granting all students freedom within classroom reason.” …displaying traits as being respectful, responsible, and ready…a teachable moment to improve communication and positive teacher support for such desired expectations.”-Doug Snider

MCSS 2022 High School Teacher of the Year
Allison Graves, Washington High School

The MCSS 2022 High School Teacher of the Year comes to us from the School District of Washington. Allison Graves has taught 9th-12th grade social studies at Washington High School for the past 8 years. Allison specialties are within AP Government and Politics, AP Human Geography, U.S. History, and Leadership.

Allison’s colleagues nominated her for Teacher of the Year because of her passion for teaching, as demonstrated in her focus on creating engaging lessons that challenge students to analyze data and critically think about the world. Her goal is to create informed, engaged civic-minded citizens, which is reflected through her teaching strategies, lessons, and projects. Allison has been active in the social studies community, presenting at both the state MCSS conference and the national NCSS conference. She has completed two fellowships: the Transatlantic Outreach Program and the American Bar Association/Federal Judicial Center Summer Institute for Teachers. She has also participated and presented at a number of professional programs and institutes throughout the nation. She has also sponsored travel abroad trips for her students, taking their learning beyond the confines of her classroom.

Allison’s success in the classroom and beyond can be attributed to her belief in continual learning reflected in her own words…”One of the best ways for teachers to inspire a love of learning in their students is to demonstrate a passion for improvement and growth in their own work.”-Allison Graves

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