Tyler ISD Names Teachers of the Year

TYLER – Tyler ISD announced the 2016 Teachers of the Year at the annual Teacher of the Year Banquet. It was held Tuesday evening at Harvey Convention Center. Rhona Meads, sixth grade teacher at Three Lakes Middle School, is Secondary Teacher of the Year; Dee Ann Tate, third grade teacher at Rice Elementary School, was named Elementary Teacher of the Year. The District honored 31 campus teachers of the year before naming the two big winners. The District winners will compete at the regional level this summer.

Meads has been an educator for 28 years at the elementary, secondary and junior college level in both the private and public sectors. Her decision to become a teacher was inspired by her eighth grade science teacher, Mrs. Scotts, who made every student in her class feel like the most important student in the classroom as she carried on conversations with them, supported them in their extracurricular activities and most importantly gave “just because” hugs. During that school year, Meads decided she wanted to become the kind of teacher she was blessed with in Mrs. Scotts.

An educator for 26 years, Tate has served in the classroom, as well as a facilitator and consultant, over her career. From her earliest recollections, she wanted to be a teacher and often taught Raggedy Ann and Andy, an over-stuffed bear named Brown and the rest of her favorite stuffed animals and dolls their ABC’s out of the closet she turned into a classroom. But, when her fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Barber, asked her to help a classmate practice her reading skills, in which the classmate improved after only a month, Tate knew then she would be a teacher.

The District also brought back the Rookie of the Year award to recognize teachers who demonstrate outstanding performance and superior instruction skills during their first year of teaching. The 2016 Rookie of the Year award was given to Rolando Alvarez, third grade teacher at Orr Elementary School.