Hickory Elementary Teacher Named 2021 Teacher Of The Year

HARFORD COUNTY, MD — First-grade teacher Lauren Byrd of Hickory Elementary School was named the 2021 Harford County Public Schools Teacher of the Year.

She makes learning “magical” for her young learners, according to the principal at Hickory Elementary School.

“Mrs. Byrd can be found every day standing at her classroom door, greeting the children, welcoming children into their shared classroom,” Hickory Elementary School Principal Brad Stinar said.

“She’s built a community of learners who love to be in that special space — that classroom has been transformed into a campground, tropical rainforest, the arctic tundra … to inspire the 6- and 7-year-old students who are there," Stinar said. "Every time I go into that classroom, I do not want to leave! What Mrs. Byrd is doing with her students is magical, highly effective indeed.”

Byrd has been a teacher for 17 years, including nine in Harford County Public Schools (HCPS), officials said. She has a master's degree from Loyola University as a reading teacher and a bachelor's in early childhood and elementary education from Juniata College in Pennsylvania.

“Mrs. Byrd exhibits confidence, compassion, knowledge of content, high expectations, and empathy," Stinar said. "She is fully immersed in the school community; she wants to see her students in her neighborhood, she wants them to see her, and continuously be a part of the broader school community. This is all part of building strong relationships which foster strong academic achievement in her students."

In 2012, Byrd began her career with HCPS at Roye-Williams Elementary School before moving to Hickory Elementary School, according to a statement from HCPS.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Sean Bulson announced the 2021 Teacher of the Year awardee Wednesday evening during a celebration that was broadcast live on Microsoft Teams.

“Mrs. Byrd illustrates the importance building relationships and creating an environment, whether in-person or virtual, has on encouraging and supporting students,” HCPS Superintendent of Schools Sean Bulson said in a statement. “I hope you follow Mrs. Byrd’s blog on our website through the upcoming year, and I’m honored to announce Mrs. Byrd as Harford County’s 2021 Teacher of the Year.”

Byrd, who is the 27th annual Harford County Teacher of the Year, was nominated by the Turner family, who said her impact extends beyond the first-graders she teaches daily. She provides models for new teachers, serves on committees and writes curriculum that benefits her HCPS colleagues, according to Carl and Martha Turner.

“She should be recognized as the 2021 Harford County Teacher of the Year due to her unwavering passion in meeting the needs of the individual student and the significant impact she has on the lives of young learners," the Turners said in the nomination.

As the Harford County Teacher of the Year, HCPS said that Byrd received a free yearlong lease on a brand-new 2021 Nissan Rogue courtesy of Jones Junction; Dell laptop; watch from Saxon’s Diamond Centers; and big-screen TV from NTA Life, a Horace Mann Company. She was also awarded gift certificates and $1,200 from HAR-CO Credit Union, a prize given to all five finalists.

Next Byrd will compete for the title of Maryland Teacher of the Year, which will be announced in October by the Maryland State Department of Education.