Sapulpa Middle School Teacher Aimee Redding was awarded the honor of District Teacher of the Year for 2018-2019 at a banquet held on Friday night.
The award, presented by last year’s winner Natalie Fielden, who had some words of advice for Redding.
“The last year has been the best of my career, and I’m sad it’s coming to an end, but I’m more than excited for the new District Teacher of the Year,” Fielden said.
“You will be honored and celebrated over and over (and over), but it’s a lot of fun, and you’ll be flooded with genuine support and you’ll have the opportunity to meet new people and represent Sapulpa Public Schools in many different capacities.”
Fielden said that the administrator will be your biggest cheerleaders, a statement that Redding echoed when she accepted the award to a standing ovation and much fanfare.
Redding said “I could not be here to win this award without the help and support of all my fellow educators out there. This is as much for you as it is for me. Thank you,” Redding said, before gathering with a group of other former Teachers of the Year for a group shot, something they do every year.
Several folks took the stage to pay homage to each of the candidates, and to thank them for their work, including State Representatives Mark Lawson and Kyle Hilbert. “You guys work tirelessly to educate tomorrow’s leaders, and I thank you for it,” Lawson said. He added that should they ever need anything, they should feel free to come visit him at the Capitol in Oklahoma City. “Hopefully,” he chuckled, “it won’t be during a walkout.”
District Teacher of the Year is a process that gets pretty involved. It begins with each school selecting a site teacher of the year, which means creating a portfolio detailing your background and experience, and being selected as Site Teacher of the Year still means you have to go through a half-hour interview process.
It’s a decision that Superintendent Rob Armstrong said he was glad he didn’t have to make. “It gets bigger and better every year,” he said.
Redding not only won a prestigious award, but thanks to the Sapulpa Public Schools Foundation, was also given a $2,000 check.
Photos by Matt Choquette
