Salina USD 305 recognized three teachers at Tuesday night’s school board meeting. The district recognized two Horizon Teachers and a Master Teacher.

According to the district, an elementary and a secondary teacher is selected each year for the Horizon Award and recognized for excellence during their first full year of teaching. Members of NEA-Salina select the Master Teacher.

This year’s award winners include:

Elementary Horizon Award – Emma Lidstrom, Third Grade Teacher

Emma teaches third grade at Coronado Elementary School and comes to school every day with a ready smile for all who cross her path. Emma’s teaching includes multiple ways to engage all her students’ learning needs. And, she is a master at modeling the process to learn new information. One strategy includes walking her students through a demonstration where she thinks out loud and shows them how to productively struggle while having a growth mindset. Kindness and collaboration flourish in her classroom. Her students greet every classroom visitor with a friendly, “Have a nice day!” By integrating essential social skills into learning, her class functions with respect and cooperation. This, and other practices, build a supportive and inclusive atmosphere in which to learn. Emma earned her teaching degree at Fort Hays State University and quickly acquired an additional 15 credit hours, covering project-based learning, LETRS training and English for Speakers of Other Languages. She has attended professional development conferences where she received training in math, behavior interventions and mental health first aid. Emma serves as an NEA delegate and embraces leadership opportunities at her school.

Secondary Horizon Award – Cole Martins, English Language Arts Teacher

In his South High School reading classes, Cole tailors his instruction to meet students’ unique strengths and challenges. His constructive feedback and recognition of students’ small victories fosters a growth mindset within his students. He supports their confidence to persevere through challenges and strive for improvement. Cole breaks down barriers and builds understanding of larger issues behind behavior or motivation challenges. Every student in his class is valued, celebrated and recognized – not just by name, but for their unique interests and passions. His students feel a sense of belonging in his class. While teaching intensive reading, Cole fine-tuned skills that assist his students with their struggles. He tirelessly works with students, meets them where they are at and makes sure they have opportunities to succeed. Cole continuously seeks professional growth. He attends workshops, seeks feedback from colleagues and collaborates with them in planning sessions. Prior to teaching and coaching at SHS, Cole earned his teaching degree from Pittsburg State University. He coached middle school hurdlers in Pittsburg and taught elementary students skills like fishing and camping through Greenbush, the Southeast Kansas Education Service Center.

Master Teacher Award – Elizabeth Burke, Library Media Specialist 

Elizabeth holds a Bachelor of Arts from Baker University, a Master of Education from Rockhurst University and endorsements in English for Speakers of Other Languages and Library Media Science. She taught for eighteen years at Salina South High School (SHS) teaching social studies for a decade before transitioning to the library in 2017. “I want my teaching practice and library space to go beyond just book knowledge,” said Elizabeth. “I want to equip students with the social-emotional component and the critical thinking skills to interact with our modern world.”  Elizabeth knows the power of shaping key learning experiences. She does this by providing an inclusive, engaging environment that nurtures students’ curiosity and empowers them to take ownership of their education. An example is when Elizabeth was chosen to host Meg Medina, the National Ambassador for young People’s Literature, at SHS. She immediately expanded the experience by writing a grant to provide books for all 1,100 SHS students and the Cougar Common Read was created. School-wide discussion on social-emotional and academic topics related to book themes ensued. Activities included daily mystery celebrity readings contest, a “get caught reading” class contest and a Medina Madness Kahoot trivia competition that was live-streamed throughout the school. Elizabeth reflected, “Witnessing our community come together – especially students who rarely read – was transformative and fulfilled my goal of engaging everyone in literature, leaving me inspired to dream even bigger.” Elizabeth serves on the Building Leadership Team, coordinates secondary libraries for Salina Public Schools and is part of the Visible Learning Leadership and coaching teams. She mentors and serves as an ambassador for new teachers, presents at professional conferences and leads professional development for the district. She also has been a member of NEA Salina throughout her teaching career. Elizabeth was awarded the Jett Excellence Award from the Salina Education Foundation and selected for a National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature school visit last year. Outside the classroom, Elizabeth has been involved in projects such as the University of Kansas’ Partners in Education Across Kansas as a teacher leader and been a member of the Salina Arts Infusion Committee, championing interdisciplinary learning and creative expression. Recently, she became co-coach for the South Middle Scholar’s Bowl teams.

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Photo via USD 305: From Left Emma Lidstrom, Cole Martins, Elizabeth Burke