Rotary honors two teachers as Educators of the Month
Published 1:30 am Thursday, October 25, 2018
The Rotary Club of Alderwood-Terrace on Oct. 13 awarded its October Educator of the Month honor to two local teachers.
Debbie Lindgren is a fourth-grade teacher at Hazelwood Elementary School in Lynnwood. Lindgren, who grew up in Edmonds and graduated from Edmonds-Woodway High School, previously taught at Hilltop Elementary School.
“There is a strong sense of community within Debbie’s classroom,” Hazelwood principal Tim Parnell said. “Children learn quickly to look after one another and to help support one another to learn and grow. Debbie’s students quickly discover they are a part of ‘Team Lindgren.’ ”
Brier Terrace Middle School science teacher Laura Koday helped launch Second Step, a research-based social-emotional learning curriculum. She also founded the Trauma Informed Practices team, which examines the impact of stress and trauma on learning.
She proposed the school’s new Bulldog PRIDE language to teach empathy, grit, integrity, kindness and responsibility, and coordinated Bulldog Days “to help students feel welcome, valued and confident” before beginning their classes, Principal Alex Alexander said.
