Eisenhower 5th-Grade Teacher Named Florida's Teacher Of The Year

CLEARWATER, FL — The teacher who encourages her students to find joy in every situation was rewarded with the joyful news Thursday night that she is 2021 Florida Teacher of the Year,

During a gala in Orlando, Sarah Ann Painter was chosen for the honor from among five finalists and named the Christa McAuliffe Ambassador for Education in honor of the New Hampshire teacher who died in the Challenger space shuttle explosion in 1986.

Painter, the mother of six and a Pinellas County teacher for 18 years, earned the honor during what was arguably the most challenging school year educators have ever faced, teaching her fifth-graders in person and online during a global pandemic.

See related story: Teacher Of The Year Finalist Helps Kids Find Joy In Tough Year

Like many teachers during the coronavirus pandemic, Painter was tasked with simultaneously teaching the students in her classroom and students watching her online from home, all while meeting mandatory mask and social distancing requirements for both teachers and students as well as ensuring that students frequently washed their hands and used disinfectant to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

It was her ability to adapt and reassure often-anxious students and their parents as well as her innovative teaching methods that earned her the title of top teacher.

"It's such an honor, and to be called out during a school year when we are experiencing a pandemic and there's no rule book to go by means the world to me," Painter said.

While the science, English and math lessons taught during the 2020-21 school year were vital to ensuring that her students didn't fall behind despite the pandemic, she believes it's the example she set in encouraging them to overcome challenges and find the joy in the most difficult times that they'll take with them long after they've left her classroom.