Golden Apple Finalists: Deerfield Teachers Get Prestigious Nods

DEERFIELD, IL — Finalists for the prestigious Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching have been announced, and there is definitely some local flavor. Deerfield High School teachers Britnee Kenyon (Grades 9-12, theatre) and Nikki Lazzaretto (Grades 9-12, dance) are among the finalists.

Annually, the awards are given out by the Golden Apple Foundation, an Illinois nonprofit "committed to preparing, honoring and supporting educators who advance educational opportunities for students." In a news release, the organization said it narrowed down the highly competitive award process to 30 teachers in grades 9 through 12.

Bios of Deerfield teachers from Golden Apple Foundation:

• Britnee Kenyon — "Part of Kenyon’s responsibilities at Deerfield High School involve acclimating freshmen to life as high school students. That means informing classes about how to interact with school administrators, from fellow teachers to principles to student counselors. While in the past students were given a formal presentation from administrators about their jobs, Kenyon noticed that her class would leave with more questions than answers — which led to her development of an inquiry-based drama lesson where students assumed the role of the school dean and investigated mock-incidents that someone in the position of dean might be tasked with resolving. The lesson was twofold: students were able to both learn the principles of performance through acting out the role, and they were also able to better grasp the responsibilities of school authority figures."
• Nikki Lazzaretto — "Lazzaretto takes a different approach to class instruction: instead of simply asking dance students to perform for her, she invites them to take ownership of the audition process by creating scoring rubrics and acting as judges for one another. In doing so, students are able to more effectively self-assess their own performance, and many under her study have learned that dance has just as much to do with showmanship and production as it does movement. Lazzaretto feels that dance is a place where students can feel safe to express their identities through their own physical bodies and movements, which is rarely allowed in other class environments. She invites deeper conversation among her students by prompting them each week with an exercise called “Rose and Thorn,” where each member of her class speaks to something beneficial that has happened to them in the past week, as well as any difficulties currently happening in their school or personal lives. According to Lazzaretto, this allows her to see her students for the “whole people '' that they are, and it also allows other students to recognize and bridge the gap between themselves. Ultimately, this makes Lazzaretto’s dance classroom a unique, hybrid environment where students can freely discuss culture both at an intellectual level and through activity-based dance and movement routines."

RELATED: Complete list of 2022 Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching finalists

“These last two years have truly taken a toll on teachers, staff, families, and students,” said Alan Mather, President of Golden Apple, in a statement. “While great teachers have always been impactful, this is particularly true during this past year, where these finalists have demonstrated the commitment to providing ongoing support and high-quality instruction to their students and we are proud to honor them.”

The Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching honor outstanding teachers for having lasting, positive effects on students’ lives and school communities, according to the Golden Apple Foundation. Teacher finalists demonstrate — in their teaching and results — significant, positive impact on their students’ growth and learning.

The Golden Apple Foundation said the selected 2022 Golden Apple Award recipients will be surprised in the spring. Northwestern University provides a spring sabbatical to award recipients at no cost. Each recipient receives a $5,000 cash award. Award recipients become Fellows of the Golden Apple Academy of Educators, a community of educators who play an important role in preparing the next generation of teachers in the Golden Apple Scholars and Accelerators programs — which are dedicated to addressing the teacher shortage in Illinois.