In Madison on Sunday, April 28th, Atwater sixth grade teacher Carrie Zuithoff was honored at the 6th annual Outstanding Educator Awards program hosted by the Wisconsin Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (WACTE).
She was one of a select few to receive the Pre-Service Educator Mentor Award, which is presented to an outstanding educator who has demonstrated a sustained pattern of mentoring pre-service educators for at least five years.
Recipients of this award are selected based on attributes such as: the ability to model professional responsibility, evidentiary assessment, effective classroom management, the ability to mentor pre-service teacher candidates in developing their capacity to be a leader; and the ability to nurture candidates as they face a wide range of issues.
Zuithoff was nominated by Marquette University who gave the following statement:
Our pre-service teachers consistently report that in Carrie's classroom, they experienced high levels of support, felt challenged to exceed expectations, and knew they were valued. As a mentor, Carrie goes beyond what is expected. She takes time to speak with and listen to our pre-service teachers and makes them feel as if they belong in her classroom. She also helps them understand the complexities, challenges, and joys of the teaching profession. Her love for teaching and for her students is evident in her actions as a teacher and she inspires our students everyday!
“Carrie is an absolute joy to work with,” adds Atwater Principal Kayla Russick. “She cares deeply about growing the next generation of children in her classroom and growing the profession. She is truly deserving of this wonderful honor.”
Carrie Zuithoff (pictured: top row, second from left) with other recipients of the Pre-Service Educator Mentor Award and the Early Career Educator Award.
More about WACTE:
The Organization
The Wisconsin Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (WACTE) is a professional organization composed of Wisconsin institutions that prepare students for initial teacher licensure. Our teacher preparation programs offer diversity in size, focus and delivery, but are all designed to prepare quality teachers for Wisconsin’s schools. WACTE is an affiliate of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE).
The Mission
Our mission is to provide leadership in the preparation of highly qualified professional educators. WACTE is committed to the education of career teachers whose work in classrooms in Wisconsin, the nation, and the world will result in robust student learning. To that end, the organization facilitates deep consideration of issues related to teacher effectiveness and student learning and collaborates with organizations and agencies to promote research-based standards and policies for professional educator development
The Commitments
The Association commits to:
- Provide opportunities for diverse students to access higher education and enter the teaching profession as outstanding professionals.
- Assure the application of high standards and multiple criteria in evaluating the teaching effectiveness of our graduates.
- Expect excellence in our candidates and in the learning achievement of their students.
- Collaborate with PK-12 schools to develop curriculum , pedagogy, and assessments that will maximize student learning.
- Engage in effective communication with stakeholders about issues related to teacher education and development.
- Develop valid and reliable performance evaluations for teachers and other school personnel and use the resulting data to inform the continuous improvement of teacher preparation in Wisconsin.
- Advocate for the placement of highly qualified, fully prepared teachers in all classrooms in the state, especially in the classrooms serving the state’s most vulnerable children.
- Promote the development of world class PK-16 education in the state of Wisconsin.