{"id":3615,"date":"2017-05-03T03:32:26","date_gmt":"2017-05-03T11:32:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/communications.blogs.kpbsd.k12.ak.us\/?p=3615"},"modified":"2017-05-03T03:32:26","modified_gmt":"2017-05-03T11:32:26","slug":"celebrate-stephanie-cronin-2017-bp-teacher-excellence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kpbsd.org\/schools\/comm-test\/2017\/05\/03\/celebrate-stephanie-cronin-2017-bp-teacher-excellence\/","title":{"rendered":"Celebrate Stephanie Cronin, 2017 BP Teacher of Excellence"},"content":{"rendered":"

Stephanie Cronin, Seward High School, 2017 BP Teacher of Excellence<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIt is truly humbling to receive this award. I am very proud to accept it on behalf of my fellow 2017 Teachers of Excellence, and all the excellent teachers across our district. Thank you BP for this program and the recognition you give to public educators!\u201d \u2013Stephanie Cronin<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Stephanie<\/a>Stephanie Cronin<\/strong> teaches math and engineering at Seward High School. She has spent all 20 years of her teaching career in Alaska.
\nStephanie graduated from University of Minnesota Minneapolis with a bachelor degree in economics and also received a bachelor\u2019s in mathematics from University of Alaska Anchorage. She continued at UAA for graduate school received a Master of Arts in Teaching and also a master\u2019s degree in educational leadership.
\nStephanie\u2019s enthusiasm as a student translates fluently to her enthusiasm as a teacher.
\nOne of her students writes, \u201cShe planted the seed in my brain that it\u2019s okay to be excited about math. Mrs. Cronin\u2019s ability to bring excitement and engagement into the math room stems from the way she really cares about each student. I hope someday I can inspire any individual the way Mrs. Cronin and her selfless devotion to her career has inspired me.\u201d
\nStephanie\u2019s goal in the classroom is to encourage her students to become creative problem-solvers, who are not afraid to try hard, take risks\u2013and potentially fail.
\nShe accomplishes this by building trusting relationships with each student. She greets each student as he or she enters her classroom, and honestly listens when they answer her question, \u201cHow are you?\u201d Her classroom is a safe place, where students want to be, and where they feel the confidence to tackle tough problems.
\nShe challenges her kids. When she gives the class a problem to solve, for example, she does not tell each student whether or not he or she got the correct answer. Rather, she sends them back and tells the entire class to agree on an answer. Only when they have all talked it out and come to an agreement will she lead them through a diagnosis of how to perform the correct math.
\nIn this way, she turns individual effort into success as a member of a group\u2013a team\u2014and that evolves into self-confidence.
\nWhen a University of Alaska representative visited Stephanie\u2019s classroom last year to promote college attendance, she remarked how impressed she was at the high number of students who wanted to become math teachers and engineers. When the students were asked why, they answered, \u201cIt\u2019s because of Mrs. Cronin.\u201d
\nHer dedication has not gone unnoticed. In addition to other awards, in 2012, Stephanie received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, which was presented to her by Vice President Joe Biden in Washington, D.C., and she is the 2017 State of Alaska Alternate Teacher of the Year.
\nAnother former student who attended Stanford University honor Ms. Cronin with the Stanford Recognition \u201cTeacher Tribute\u201d award for having the greatest influence on his education.
\nPrincipal Trevan Walker states: \u201cIf one were to survey any Seward High graduate since the Class of 2000 then I am confident that they would not only be able to describe \u2018Positive Math Attitude,\u2019 but that they would be able to describe what \u2018PMA\u2019 personally means to them. I can think of no greater tribute, to a truly excellent teacher, than this.\u201d
\nThis year\u2019s nominees were again, an excellent representation of our staff as a whole,\u201d said Sean Dusek, superintendent. \u201cThey are humble, hard-working and student-centered. They are willing to go above and beyond to help students succeed and reach their full potential. Mrs. Cronin is definitely one of our finest teachers who has transformed math instruction at Seward High School. She makes a positive difference everyday and is an unforgettable influence on her students. This award is very well deserved.\u201d
\n\u201cBP is proud to honor these great teachers and their tireless work in the classroom,\u201d said BP Alaska Regional President Janet Weiss. \u201cWe see it as part of our ongoing commitment to the communities where our people live and work \u2013 and an investment in the people who help make Alaska great.\u201d
\nNow in its 22nd year, the BP Teachers of Excellence program honors K-12 teachers from all school districts statewide, including public and private schools.
\nThe Kenai Peninsula Borough School District BP Teachers of Excellence winners are:<\/p>\n