HCPSSTracy Sanders, 5th Grade Teacher, Deep Run Elementary School
March 24th, 2016
Deep Run Elementary School 5th grade teacher Tracy Sanders is a dynamic young educator full of ideas and open to trying new practices. She explained her teaching philosophy with, “The students are the most important part of what I do, so everything should be centered on what they’re showing me or not showing me.” Sanders likes that at the elementary level she can change plans day to day or week to week, based on her students, since she teaches them all the subjects.
Each year Sanders has challenged herself to try a couple of new initiatives, often empowering students to make choices about their learning. As Sanders explained, “When you give students choice, they’re so much more engaged. It allows you to meet them at their level, and it’s easy to meet their needs where they are.”
This year, her class is participating in both Genius Hour and book club. Genius Hour is an initiative Sanders is offering her students to explore their passions on a weekly basis through a research project of their choice. Sanders said, “The students always ask to work on their projects. They’re really enjoying it and proud of their work.” With book club, Sanders’ students pick their books–out of a list she’s provided–and their reading goals and discussion topics. Sanders explained, “They all take the book club really seriously. This is what reading looks like for adults.”
Deep Run Elementary School Principal Tricia Collins-McCarthy said, “Tracy’s students just downright love her. They realize that they have opportunities to learn and do what they like in the style that works for them. Tracy takes risks and isn’t afraid to try something new and different if she feels it will benefit the learners in her classroom.”
With the support of her principal, Sanders is already honing her leadership skills. She’s part of the Deep Run leadership team; she’s led professional development sessions on ESOL inclusive teaching practices, ELA comprehension strategies and one-on-one student conference practices; and she serves as the school’s teaching representative for the Simulated Congressional Hearings. She is also part of this year’s countywide 4-day leadership cohort, which provides leadership development and growth experiences for teacher leaders.
Collins-McCarthy praised Sanders’ abilities and potential with, “From the moment we interviewed her for the 5th grade classroom position, we knew we had someone of incredible capacity both instructionally and from a leadership perspective. New and veteran teachers respect her and that’s a high form of praise for someone in their third year.”
Growing up with her mom and grandmother as teachers, Sanders said, “I always knew I wanted to be a teacher.” Sanders, who was raised and educated in Howard County, was encouraged by her teachers to pursue her dream. Then “When I went to college, I realized that Howard County schools did so much for me, I wanted to come back and make a difference,” Sanders said. She feels the loyalty to this county is unique, saying “I have never seen another school system with such a sense of community at the individual schools, especially at Mount Hebron [her alma mater].”
Sanders feels her bachelor’s in elementary education from University of South Carolina prepared her well for entering the teaching field, especially during the transition to the Common Core. Deep Run welcomed her ideas when in her first year of teaching Howard County completely implemented its curriculum to align to the new Common Core state standards. Sanders went on to continue her education with a post baccalaureate ESOL certificate from University of Maryland, Baltimore County, which helps her better serve the English Language Learners in her classroom.
Collins-McCarthy summarized Sanders as “an educator who has that rare combination of pedagogical knowledge and genuine care and compassion for her students. She’s collaborative, takes initiative to problem solve, and consistently challenges her kids and colleagues to see what is possible.”