BCPS Teacher of the Year 2007-2008:

Robin August
In honoring an outstanding educator each year, Baltimore County Public Schools celebrates all 8,000 teachers who make a positive difference in the lives of our students.

Despite the many exciting places her teaching career has taken her – from aquarium shark tanks to the Parthenon -- Baltimore County Public Schools’ new Teacher of the Year, Robin August, says she still finds being in the classroom the most inspiring place of all.

“When the lights come on, the bell rings, and the students enter the room, that’s when passion comes alive,” says August, a sixth-grade math teacher at Deep Creek Middle School in Essex. “To spend each day engaged in learning with students is such a gift.  To be trusted with the education of such incredibly unique and talented young people is a privilege I take seriously and gratefully.  It’s this gratitude and deep passion for the learning process that keeps me energized throughout the years.”

After 10 years of teaching in Baltimore City, August began teaching in Baltimore County at Deep Creek Elementary School. She moved to Deep Creek Middle School at the beginning of the 2006-2007 school year to teach grade six mathematics, including a Gifted and Talented math course and Algebraic Foundations.

In her 17 years as a teacher, August has always taught in Title I schools. She considers one of her greatest accomplishments to be improving the academic performance of fourth grade math students at Deep Creek Elementary School. After two years, grade 4 math MSA scores rose from 64.3% proficient in 2004 to 85.3% proficient in 2006.

Deep Creek Middle Principal Anissa Brown Dennis says, “Parents are truly fortunate to have Ms. August as their children’s teacher. Not only are the children in her classroom challenged on a consistent basis, but they also develop a love for math that transcends into their later years. Ms. August is constantly thinking about the child and how to better reach that child in a positive way. It is this type of impact that makes Ms. August the special teacher that she is.”

In addition to the title and a plaque, the county’s Teacher of the Year is awarded the use of a new Toyota Prius for a year, courtesy of the Baltimore Area Toyota Dealers, a longtime Teacher of the Year program partner. A whiteboard is placed in her classroom courtesy of Baltimore County Public Schools, and she receives a $4,000 stipend from the Maryland State Department of Education. For the 11th year in a row, Comcast Cable presented a $1,000 check toward the purchase of a laptop computer for the Teacher of the Year. The Teachers Association of Baltimore County (TABCO) also honored August with several gifts.

For more information on the BCPS and Maryland State Department of Education Teacher of the Year programs, please visit: www.marylandpublicschools.org/MSDE/programs/recognition-partnerships/toy.

<< For a list of BCPS Teachers of the Year since 1988, please click here >>

 

The Baltimore County Public Schools Office of Communications is always eager to hear about and promote good news about the system, schools, students, teachers, and staff. Please share achievements and good news by e-mailing communications@bcps.org. Every year, we celebrate BCPS achievements through Board of Education Recognition ceremonies (November, February, and April), Maryland State Department of Education School Achievement Celebration (January/February), Teacher of the Year (May), and the Baltimore County Chamber of Commerce Awards for Excellence in Education (May). Information about nominating individuals for 2005-2006 school year awards will soon be available online.