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Teachers do so much for their students without asking for too much in return. Over the past two years, they've been dealt with an even bigger task of finding new ways to engage their students both in person and through remote learning. Two teachers in Middle Tennessee recently were recognized for their work and dedication to their students at a surprise gathering inside their schools.
Tyler Hallstedt, an eighth grade social studies teacher at Mt. Juliet Middle School, was one of more than 60 educators across the country honored by the Milken Family Foundation with a prestigious Milken Educator Award, often called the "Oscars of Teaching," according to FOX 17. On Thursday (April 7), he was surprised in front of a school assembly with a $25,000 prize, becoming the first Wilson County Schools educator to receive the honor.
"This job is so fun... usually," he joked. "A lot of my fellow teachers deserve it as much as I do. It's an honor to receive it and I'm thrilled."
Hallstedt wasn't the only midstate teacher to receive the prestigious honor. Raeven Brooks, a second grade teacher at Black Fox Elementary School in Murfreesboro, was also surprised during an assembly to be nationally recognized for her work in the classroom. She was also the first educator from Murfreesboro City Schools to be awarded the honor.
Gov. Bill Lee, who was at both assemblies and announced the winners, congratulated both Hallstedt and Brooks while shouting out all the teachers across the state, saying they "play a vital role in shaping Tennessee's future."