By Dr. Elizabeth Fagen, Humble ISD Superintendent Teachers make such a huge impact on the lives of their students – an impact that lasts forever. We can never really celebrate great teachers enough. That is why I was so proud to see the extraordinary way our community honored teachers through the Humble ISD Education Foundation’s Boots and Bling event at Stampede Houston. Ten Teacher of the Year Finalists received a Chromebook donated by Micro Integration. The runner-up for District Teacher of the Year received a $2,500 check from United Community Credit Union. The District Teacher of the Year received a $5,000 check from Robbins Chevrolet. Summer Creek High School Criminal Justice teacher Dwight Smith is Humble ISD’s 2021-2022 District Teacher of the Year. Dwight grew up in Houston’s Fifth Ward and saw education as the key to his future. Dwight’s drive for education continues as he is working toward his doctorate in educational leadership from Houston Baptist University. Dwight believes in connecting with students and giving them a sense of belonging as a family. He uses recent events to engage students. For example, Dwight’s students studied a deadly car crash involving a Tesla. His students debated the discrepancies between the separate investigations conducted by Tesla and law enforcement and crafted different scenarios of what may have caused the crash. Dwight takes his students on field trips to courthouses to watch live trials. His students also conduct mock trials inside a courtroom classroom at Summer Creek High School that was funded through Bond 2018. A mock courtroom is also being built at Kingwood Park High School. The mock courtrooms give students an opportunity like never before to reinforce what they’ve been learning in the classroom. Willow Creek Elementary School teacher Emily Porter-Roy is
Summer Creek High School Criminal Justice Teacher Dwight Smith reacts to being announced as Humble ISD District Teacher of the Year with Chelsea Robbins McGhinnis, Vice President of Robbins Chevrolet. Robbins Chevrolet presented Mr. Smith with a $5,000 check at the Humble ISD Education Foundation’s Boots & Bling celebration held at Stampede Houston.
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Humble ISD Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Fagen congratulates Willow Creek Elementary School teacher Emily Porter-Roy upon being named Elementary Teacher of the Year at the Humble ISD Education Foundation’s Boots & Bling fundraiser held at Stampede Houston. Amber Ottele, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development with United Community Credit Union (pictured at left) presented Ms. Porter-Roy with a $2,500 check.
Humble ISD’s 2021-2022 Elementary Teacher of the Year. Emily was born into a military family, and transfers took her family from New Mexico to Holland, Florida, and Ohio. She made her way to Houston for an educator job fair upon graduating from Bowling Green State University in Ohio with a degree in early childhood education. “I left every friend and family member I’d known to become a teacher,” she said. In 2020-2021, Emily taught virtually to kindergarten and first grade students at Willow Creek Elementary and Shadow Forest Elementary schools. Emily uses creativity when interacting through Zoom. For example, she wore an astronaut’s helmet as part of an alphabet countdown to summer. That day’s letter, “b,” was for “build a rocket ship.” Emily showed her students how to build a rocket ship with household materials like a plastic bottle, foil, streamers and clothespins. She says she can always rely on funny hats to keep her students engaged. Emily gives her students the opportunity to develop personal responsibility and leadership skills; she has one of her students keep time during lessons to ensure that the class stays on schedule. As an Humble ISD Family and Lake Houston Community, we share a goal for all Humble ISD students to be the happiest and best prepared in the world – for anything that they choose to do. Follow Dr. Fagen on Twitter @ElizabethFagen
