Irvington District Educator Receives Outstanding Innovative Teacher Award

IRVINGTON, NY — Main Street School fifth-grade teacher Susan Wallace was awarded the Lower Hudson Regional Information Center 2017 TELL Award for being an outstanding innovative teacher. She was recognized during a ceremony at the Edith Macy Conference Center in Briarcliff Manor earlier this month. The annual awards initiative, which has been in place since 1997, recognizes three school district leaders and teachers from the Westchester, Rockland and Putnam county region who are instrumental in implementing and maintaining successful instructional technology programs in their schools.

Winners of the TELL (Transforming Education through Leadership and Learning) Award, formerly known as the Pioneer Award, are chosen through a nomination and committee selection process. They demonstrate an outstanding, innovative and strategic approach to technology integration in their classrooms, schools and/or district, according to a spokesman.

According to LHRIC, Wallace demonstrated a transformation of education and student learning through her leadership. LHRIC, a support division of BOCES that serves the Lower Hudson Valley, collaborates with school districts in transforming teaching and learning through the use of technology.

“This award is well-deserved,” Principal Joyce Chapnick said. “Susan has engaged in learning opportunities to deepen her understanding of global citizenship and the ways in which technology can be used in the classroom. Her passion and commitment to this work are assets to the students within her classroom as well as the Main Street School community.”

Wallace and her students have engaged in various projects and she has developed a network of colleagues around the world to bring exciting work into her classroom. In addition, she has introduced Main Street School to numerous schoolwide projects, such as Global School Play Day, which has also been adopted at Dows Lane Elementary School. Through her membership in the Global Educators Network, Wallace has shared fun and easy activities for teachers to get involved in, such as the Global Read Aloud, which has been positively embraced by the entire school community. Her students also participate in Genius Hour, which grants them freedom to explore and follow their passions through self-directed learning. Wallace runs an article workshop around Genius Hour, and will be running a session on it at the Capital Region EdTech summit in May.

For more than three years, Wallace has used the Flipped Classroom model with her students in math with support from parents and students. She holds a Google Educator Level 1 certification for demonstrating proficiency on the use of Google tools in the classroom and standard technology implementation skills. She will be taking a rigorous exam to earn the next level of certification.

Photo caption: Main Street School fifth-grade teacher Susan Wallace. Photo credit: Irvington Union Free School District.