Meet Stacey Zraket, winner, Brainly Educator of the Year 2024
TLDRStacy Zraket, an eighth-grade science teacher, emphasizes the importance of building trust and respect in the classroom to create a safe environment for learning. She believes that fostering relationships with students is crucial for their active participation and willingness to take risks in learning. Despite the challenges of online teaching, Zraket adapts by engaging students through various interactive methods. Her dedication and innovative teaching approach led to her winning the Brainly Educator of the Year 2024 in the STEM category, an honor she finds both flattering and humbling.
Takeaways
- π Stacy Zraket is the Brainly Educator of the Year 2024 in the STEM category.
- π Teaching for Stacy is more than lesson plans; it's about building connections and trust with students.
- π§βπ« She emphasizes the importance of modeling respect in the classroom to foster a respectful environment among students.
- π Stacy believes that an active classroom where students feel safe to take risks and ask questions is crucial for learning.
- π€ The relationship between teachers and students is paramount for engagement and willingness to take risks in learning.
- π« Whether in-person or virtual, creating a conducive learning environment is key to Stacy's teaching philosophy.
- π Online teaching presents unique challenges, such as ensuring student engagement in a remote setting.
- π» Stacy finds ways to include student voices in live lessons, using chat pods, collaboration boards, and microphone interactions.
- π After 14 years of traditional teaching, adapting to online education was a new and enjoyable challenge for her.
- π Being nominated by her student Kaylee and selected by Brainly is a great honor and a source of flattery for Stacy.
- π She expresses her gratitude to Brainly for the contest and to the panel for choosing her as the winner.
Q & A
Who is Stacey Zraket?
-Stacey Zraket is the winner of the Brainly Educator of the Year 2024 and teaches grade eight science.
What does Stacey Zraket believe is more important than lesson plans in teaching?
-Stacey Zraket believes that making connections with students and creating a safe classroom environment where they feel trust is more important than lesson plans.
How does Stacey Zraket approach teaching respect in her classroom?
-Stacey Zraket teaches respect by modeling it herself, allowing students to learn through her behavior and treat each other with respect.
What does Stacey Zraket consider the most important part of teaching?
-Stacey Zraket considers the relationship that teachers build with students as the most important part of teaching.
How does Stacey Zraket encourage active participation in her class?
-Stacey Zraket encourages active participation by creating an environment where students feel safe to take risks and ask questions without the fear of making mistakes or feeling embarrassed.
What challenges does Stacey Zraket face in online teaching?
-In online teaching, Stacey Zraket faces challenges such as ensuring student engagement and participation, which can be difficult to gauge through a computer.
How does Stacey Zraket engage students in remote settings?
-Stacey Zraket engages students remotely by using chat pods, collaboration boards, and encouraging students to turn on their microphones to interact during live lessons.
What was Stacey Zraket's reaction to being nominated for the Brainly Educator of the Year award?
-Stacey Zraket felt flattered and honored to be nominated by her student Kaylee and selected by Brainly in the STEM category.
How does Stacey Zraket feel about the Brainly contest?
-Stacey Zraket is quite thankful for the Brainly contest and appreciates the panel for selecting her.
What does Stacey Zraket emphasize in creating a classroom environment?
-Stacey Zraket emphasizes creating a classroom environment that is conducive to learning, where students feel safe to take risks and be active participants.
What does Stacey Zraket believe about the importance of STEM education?
-Stacey Zraket believes that science, technology, engineering, and math are very important to students, which is why she is honored to be considered for the Brainly Educator of the Year award in the STEM category.
Outlines
π©βπ« Building Trust and Respect in the Classroom
Stacy Zraket, an eighth-grade science teacher, emphasizes the significance of establishing trust and respect in her classroom. She believes that teaching goes beyond lesson plans and involves creating a safe and supportive environment for students. Stacy models respect to teach her students how to treat each other with kindness, which is crucial for fostering an atmosphere where students feel comfortable taking risks and engaging actively in class without fear of embarrassment. She highlights the importance of the teacher-student relationship in motivating students to participate and learn.
π Adapting to Online Teaching Challenges
The transition to online school has presented new challenges for Stacy, particularly in ensuring student engagement during remote lessons. She discusses the need to adapt teaching methods to include interactive elements such as chat pods, collaboration boards, and microphone interactions to make sure students' voices are heard. Stacy acknowledges the difficulty in gauging participation levels through a computer screen and the importance of finding innovative ways to keep students actively involved in the learning process.
π Recognition and Appreciation for Teaching Excellence
Stacy expresses her gratitude for being nominated and selected by Brainly in the STEM category, which she considers a significant honor. She is particularly flattered by the nomination from her student, Kaylee, and appreciates the recognition of her efforts in teaching science, technology, engineering, and math. Stacy thanks Brainly for organizing the contest and the panel for selecting her, reflecting on the importance of such acknowledgments in motivating and validating educators.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Teaching
π‘Connections
π‘Respect
π‘Active Participation
π‘Risks
π‘Relationship
π‘Classroom Environment
π‘Online School
π‘Engagement
π‘Nominated
π‘Brainly Educator of the Year
π‘STEM
Highlights
Stacy Zraket is the Brainly Educator of the Year 2024 for her innovative teaching methods.
Teaching is more than lesson plans; it's about building connections and trust with students.
Creating a safe classroom environment is crucial for student engagement and learning.
Modeling respect in the classroom helps students learn to treat each other with respect.
Active participation in class is encouraged by fostering a risk-free learning environment.
The teacher-student relationship is central to effective teaching and student buy-in.
Teaching in both physical and virtual settings requires creating a conducive learning environment.
Online school presents unique challenges in ensuring student engagement and participation.
In remote settings, it's important to find ways to have students' voices heard through various methods.
After 14 years of traditional teaching, adapting to online teaching was a new and fun challenge.
Gauging student participation in online settings is more difficult than in physical classrooms.
Stacy Zraket was nominated by her student Kaylee and selected by Brainly in the STEM category.
The importance of science, technology, engineering, and math education is recognized in the award.
Being nominated and selected for the award is a great honor and a source of flattery for Stacy.
Stacy expresses her gratitude to Brainly for running the contest and to the panel for selecting her.
The award acknowledges the innovative and impactful teaching methods of Stacy Zraket.