The State Health and Physical Education Specialist, Jodi Parker, honored our own Nebo teacher, McKenzie Stowell, a teacher at Maple Mountain High, with the Teacher Spotlight for April 2022.
McKenzie is a skilled health and physical education teacher and continually strives to improve both her own skills and the skills of other teachers in her school and around the state. McKenzie has taught endorsement courses, facilitated at a rural schools conference, designed professional learning for our summer Standards Implementation Institute, and is currently designing a credit recovery course for high school students. She has also supported teachers in all subjects in her school by taking her own UDL training and supporting teachers at her school in the implementation for a school-wide culture of learning.
“During our visit, there was an actual fire and the building had smoke pouring out of it with firefighters up on the ladder spraying water. McKenzie stayed calm and still utilized that time with her students, bringing the CPR mannequins outside, so students could continue practicing compressions and continue learning.(Her classroom is a portable room, and she did NOT enter the building.)
“Most impressive was that her students actually stayed engaged. They did not leave the group. They didn’t run to take pictures like students in other classes. They continued to practice, answered questions, and debriefed with her before leaving for the day. (It was the last class of the day).
“In what could have been a lost class period, McKenzie stayed focused and clearly has reinforced student agency in her classroom. Her students all assumed responsibility for their own learning and stayed focused, even during a chaotic environment.
“We asked McKenzie to share what she enjoys most about teaching. She answered, ‘I enjoy teaching skills that help students with their life decisions and relationships, and they can apply that information that very day. I love the idea of providing a better future for students! I continue to teach because it allows me to be creative, use my strengths, as well as humble myself for growth. I love the relationships that are made in the classroom and with coworkers. Teaching gives me enjoyment and satisfaction in my work life, which has been essential to my happiness. A bright spot for me as a teacher is when students sign up to take another class from me.’”
Congratulations on a job well done! Thank you for being a Nebo Hero McKenzie Stowell.
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