Teacher gets international recognition

EL DORADO — A Washington Middle School teacher has been recognized by an international organization for excellence in technology and engineering education.

Chelsey Turner, teacher librarian, was recognized with the Teacher Excellence Award by the International Technology and Engineering Educators Association, which represents over 35,000 teachers worldwide.

“This seems crazy!” Turner said. “I am just doing what I love. It’s so nice for people to acknowledge your hard work, but it’s been a little weird getting so much attention.”

Usually, Turner is the one paying close attention to her students and the library. In recent years, the library has been transformed into a complete media center, with a Maker Space, student learning area and, of course, shelves and shelves of books.

Science, technology, engineering and math education has become a central tenet in the School District’s curriculum, and Turner’s library class is one of the first places students have the opportunity to work with some forms of advanced technologies, like drones, 3D printers and more.

“The award winners exhibit so many high-quality programs and activities occurring globally in technology and engineering education,” Dr. Phillip A. Reed, ITEEA president, said in a press release about the award. “It is inspiring to learn from these leaders, and we should all feel proud to be connected with these colleagues.”

Turner said it’s important for her to make learning fun and accessible for students. She had difficulty in school herself, she said, and attentive teachers made all the difference.

“School was always a safe place for me. I had teachers that really made a difference in my life,” she said. “I was never the smartest kid, or stood out really in any way, but my teachers really cared for me and that always made me feel super special. I wanted to do that for my students.”