By Staff
CHEYENNE – Amy Pierson, a fourth grade teacher at Cloud Peak Elementary in Johnson County School District #1, has been named Wyoming’s 2016 Teacher of the Year.
“Mrs. Pierson is a lifelong learner and imparts that on her students every day,” says Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow. “Not only is she connected to her classroom and her school, but she’s also connected to her community. She doesn’t take her role lightly and sets the standard for us all.”
Mrs. Pierson began her career as a kindergarten teacher at Meadowlark Elementary in Buffalo. She has been in her present position teaching third through fifth grade at Cloud Peak Elementary since 2008. Mrs. Pierson is a Nationally Board Certified Teacher, serves as a mentor for others, actively seeks out leadership roles on committees and assists in training other teachers. This summer she attended the World Conference for Project Based Learning to lead implementation at her school. She also serves as the vice president of the International Reading Association and is part of the leadership team for Johnson County Education Association.
Cloud Peak Elementary School Principal Craig Anderson says Mrs. Pierson is someone they rely on, “Whether it is learning about best practices, working with a struggling student, mentoring a fellow staff member or making a change in her teaching assignment, Amy has a whatever it takes mindset. Her comfort isn’t her most pressing concern. She understands that ‘what is best for students, might be uncomfortable for the adults’. Her passion is helping students discover a love of the learning process.”Mrs. Pierson writes: “One of the greatest privileges that I get to see transpire within the school calendar year is a community of learners that was once individuals, but becomes something so much more.”The community within my classroom fosters independence in thinking, but carries the realization that more minds working together can accomplish goals that once seemed impossible alone. I model a growth mindset for my students making sure they understand that if they work hard enough and persevere through difficult content or tasks, they will eventually ‘get it!’ In fact, if a student frustrated and discouraged states, ‘I don’t get this’, a chorus of student voices will echoes off the classroom walls, ‘Yet!’”
Associate Superintendent Dr. Jeanie Iberlin adds that Mrs. Pierson is a very loving and creative educator, “She truly cares about her students as individuals. In each child, she sees strengths and talents, and takes them further. She is humble, kind, and dedicated.”
As the 2016 Wyoming Teacher of the Year, Mrs. Pierson will serve as an education ambassador for the state. Wyoming’s Teacher of the Year automatically becomes the nominee for the National Teacher of the Year Program, which is a project of the Council of Chief State School Officers, sponsored by Voya Financial, Inc.