The Auburn School District Board of Directors will recognize the Teachers of the Year at 7 p.m. May 24 in the board room at the James P. Fugate Administration Building.
Elaine Hogg (high school level), Arleen Burkhalter (middle school level) and Michael Martin (elementary school level) were chosen at the district level. Two of the teachers, Burkhalter and Michael, were selected to move on to the regional competition.
One teacher from each region will move on to the state competition. The state winner will move on to the 2011 national competition.
Elaine Hogg,
Auburn High School,
Special education teacher
Hogg has dedicated 17 years to help students with special needs learn how to become independent, contributing members of the community.
Hogg uses early intervention, direct instruction and parent involvement to improve student academic success. She tailors instruction based on children’s individual learning styles and needs, and stays current on the latest research and best practices to improve her quality of teaching.
“Teachers should show growth year after year, working to high standards,” Hogg said.
Hogg serves as a mentor teacher and supervises student teachers and interns as the Structured Learning Center Department head at Auburn High School. She leads a large department where colleagues collaborate to ensure students excel academically and socially. This year state testing shows that the students have made significant gains.
Hogg recently helped open the district’s newest educational facility for the Transition Assistance Program (TAP), which is designed for district students with special needs between the ages of 18 and 21.
Hogg stays active in the community as a Special Olympics and hospital volunteer. She also brings volunteer opportunities to her students to teach them about citizenship and giving back to their community.
Hogg has a masters degree in special education from the University of Wisconsin-Superior and a bachelors degree in special education from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. She continues to pursue learning opportunities to grow and improve her skills as an educator.
Arleen Burkhalter,
Mt. Baker Middle School,
Physical education teacher
Burkhalter practices a holistic approach to education by using curriculum that includes academics, electives and physical education.
Burkhalter has taught physical education in the school district for 22 years. Her students receive direct instruction about health and nutrition, the benefits of movement, individualized fitness plans and goal-setting.
“My lessons are developed to ensure that every student is active and successful,” she said.
Burkhalter is a leader at the district and building level. This year she helped align the health and fitness curriculum to Washington state standards, wrote the middle school district power standards for health and fitness, and created the health and fitness classroom-based assessments for grades 6-8.
Over the past 14 years, Burkhalter has served on the Mt. Baker School Improvement Team, Leadership Team and IEP Team. She also is the PAWS Health and Fitness Content Leader. She has been involved in the hiring of certificated and classified staff members who have made impacts in the K-12 system.
Outside of the classroom, Burkhalter is the track coach and one of the girls and boys basketball coaches. She attends many of her students’ extracurricular activities to build repertoire with her students, and she supports school and community fundraisers by organizing sports tournaments, PTA fundraisers and more.
Burkhalter earned a master of education in curriculum and instruction from the University of Washington and a bachelor of arts in education from Western Washington University. She attributes her passion for education to her father, who taught fifth grade for 30 years. In fact, he was her fifth-grade teacher.
Michael Martin,
Terminal Park Elementary School,
Fifth-grade teacher
Martin’s leadership and innovation produce not only academic gains for his students but also professional growth among his colleagues.
Martin encourages collaboration in the classroom to maximize learning. Students set goals, discuss concepts and reflect on their work together. Martin also ensures time is reserved for one-on-one mentoring and instruction and uses assessment data to drive daily instruction.
“We are a community working together to learn new things,” he said. “I am not here to control or direct students but to guide and mentor them to success. … Establishing relationships with my students allows me to set high expectations for them. They are willing to work harder because they know I want them to be the best student and the best person they can be.”
Martin teams with his fellow teachers to reflect on their teaching practices, discuss best practices and examine research and literature to expand their own knowledge. Martin is a member of the school’s Improvement Leadership Team and co-founded the school’s professional book club for staff. He advises the after-school homework and enrichment club and coaches basketball and volleyball.
At the district level, Martin is assisting with the design and implementation of a standards-based report card. The standards-based report holds teachers accountable for teaching and assessing specific content beyond general subject areas. Additionally, thanks to the 1-4 grading scale, students and families can track progress toward grade-level expectations and are more aware of their strengths and areas of improvement.
Martin also enjoys providing students the opportunity to participate in environmentally conscious programs, like recycling and vermicomposting. Martin founded Terminal Park’s Green Team, a group of students committed to lessening their impact on the environment.
Martin was named the 2008 King County Earth Hero and the Terminal Park Elementary School PTA Outstanding Educator.
Martin recently completed a master of education in reading and literacy and professional certification from City University. He also earned a bachelor of arts in education from Western Washington University.
