Cindy Whitaker, a second-grade teacher at Sheridan Elementary School, was named as the Sheridan School District Teacher of the Year Monday night in a surprise presentation at the district’s monthly school board meeting.
Each of the eight campuses previously selected a Teacher of the Year for their school, and those individuals were present at the meeting to be honored by the board. Afterward, Dr. Karla Neathery, superintendent of the Sheridan School District, announced that Mrs. Whitaker -- the SES nominee -- is the District Teacher of the Year. Mrs. Whitaker has 20 years experience in teaching, including 14 with the Sheridan School District.
In nominating Mrs. Whitaker for the award, Speech Language Pathologist Meredith Bailey said, “Every time you step into Mrs. Whitaker's room, there is always some form of student engagement. It is obvious that her passion is teaching and her compassion is for kids. Cindy has an incredible ability to challenge the most academically sound students all while encouraging and helping the students who are also struggling academically within the same lesson. The biggest praise that I give Cindy is her ability to include ALL students in ALL aspects of the classroom.”