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Walker Elementary School Teacher Nominated for Lifechanger of the Year Award

January 15, 2016
Filed Under: Updates

HEARTLAND – Dana Metz, 2nd grade teacher at Barbara Walker Elementary School, has been nominated for the 2015-2016 National LifeChanger of the Year award.

Sponsored by the National Life Group Foundation, the LifeChanger of the Year program recognizes and rewards the very best K-12 public and private school educators and employees across the United States who are making a difference in the lives of students by exemplifying excellence, positive influence and leadership. Metz was nominated by a colleague Jeannia Dykman.

Mrs. Metz is an outstanding teacher and campus leader. She is passionate about student learning, growth and success. She conducts home visits and phone calls to build productive partnerships to promote student achievement. She has served as the second grade team leader for three years, bringing fresh ideas and solutions to benefit the entire team. Her lessons are creative, engaging and rigorous. She also spends time collaborating with other grade level teams to share ideas and promote excellence throughout the school.

“She is an exceptional teacher, and her students and families benefit greatly from the compassion and heart she brings to her daily teaching,” said Dykman. “She leads with a positive attitude and her influence is one of excellence.”

Metz integrates technology in the classroom and maintains high engagement with her students through electronic media, all while enhancing the rigor and depth of her courses. She also serves on the faculty advisory committee, the literacy specialist team and as a professional learning community facilitator. She conducts training on a variety of topics, including how to improve daily instruction.

Each school year, the LifeChanger of the Year program receives hundreds of nominations. For 2015-2016, a total of 16 winners will be chosen by the selection committee to receive cash awards that are split between the individual winner and their school. The national Grand Prize award is $10,000. The top five winners will also be honored at a national awards ceremony.

Nominees must be full-time school employees. Award winners are selected based on the following criteria:

• A proven ability to make a beneficial difference in the lives of students
• An ability to positively add to the development of the school’s atmosphere
• Is involved in leadership activities at the school and/or community level
• A demonstrative record of excellent performance at the professional level
• A commitment to producing a nurturing atmosphere
• Adherence to high moral and ethical standards

Winners will be announced in spring 2016.

This year, a new prize, called the “LifeChanger Spirit Award,” will be given to the nominee whose community demonstrates the most support for his or her nomination. Support can be demonstrated through positive comments on the nominee’s profile page, social media posts, and school and community recognition activities.

A resource page with ideas for ways to celebrate nominees can be found at http://lifechangeroftheyearnominees.com/showspirit/.

To view Mrs. Metz’s LifeChanger of the Year nominee profile, or to nominate someone from your school community, visit www.LifeChangeroftheYear.com.

This article was originally published in the Seagoville Gazette