Sep 26, 2007 4:27 pm US/Central
Keller Elementary Teacher Honored By The State
by Tracy Kornet
KELLER (CBS 11 News) ―
Teaching is more than just a job for Grant Simpson. He teaches fourth grade at Hidden Lakes Elementary School in the Keller Independent School District. Simpson has a unique approach to education, forming a special relationship with each of his students. He attends gym meets, football games and recitals. He even eats lunch with his students in the school cafeteria.
Perhaps his students sum it up best.
"He's very fun."
"He's different."
"He's the best!"
As a result, the Texas Education Agency named Simpson the top elementary school teacher in the state of Texas.
"Pretty humbling," Simpson said.
The son of two educators, Simpson said that he always felt most comfortable in the classroom.
The secret to his success, he explained, is keeping the students happy. "By making the classroom fun, they want to be there."
"He lets us have part of the classroom, so it's not just his classroom. It's all of our classroom," said Megan Yates.
"He's really funny," said Savannah Grimes. "He tells us stories about his dogs, and they're really interesting."
"I wouldn't say he's nicer," said Gunnar Parker. "I would say he's the best."
Simpson has been teaching for the past six years, four of which were at Hidden Lakes Elementary School. This is the second year in a row that a Keller ISD educator has been named Teacher of the Year. "I work with an amazing group of people," Simpson said. "It's hard to be singled out when you're part of the team."
The students at Hidden Lakes Elementary School celebrated Simpson's achievement on Wednesday. The district will formally honor him next month, and an awards ceremony is scheduled for November in Austin.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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