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This years Ann Moniot Outstanding Middle Level Educator of the Year Award was presented to, Ms. Stephanie Ross, an 8th grade English teacher in the Thomas Jefferson Middle School.

            

Ms. Ross exemplifies the traits of an outstanding middle level educator.   Within her discipline of English, she goes out of her way to help each individual student.  She is highly motivated, well organized and extremely creative. Her love of children and her commitment to middle level education truly makes her an asset to our profession.

            

She tries to run a democratic classroom that values student’ opinions and ideas.  Students have the freedom of choice when it comes to outside readings, paper topics, discussion formats and group projects.  She treats every student with respect and addresses the specific needs of each adolescent.  She has most impacted her students by being present.  Not just by showing up every day, but by being fully present and aware of the problems and difficulties kids of this age struggle to address.

Not only an excellent and caring middle level teacher, Ms. Ross is also very involved in many facets of the

middle school.  She has played an active role in her school’s Student Assistance Team, believing that early intervention is a key in assisting middle level students.  She has been a part of her school’s Inclusion Team as well as the founder of the Angel Fund that allocates money for many of the extra middle level activities for the less fortunate. 

            

Ms Ross recognizes one of the critical issues facing middle level education today as being the state of health of our middle school children.  Schools are cutting down on physical education classes at the same time that the obesity rate of our children is increasing exponentially.  Some of the solutions are painfully obvious, yet nearly impossible to implement.  Schools should serve healthy meals.  Advertisers should keep the best interests of our young people at heart.  Parents should make sure that kids eat properly and get enough exercise, and coaches should allow kids to experiment rather than specialize at such an early age.