Meet Stacey Zraket, winner, Brainly Educator of the Year 2024

Brainly
12 Jun 202403:12

TLDRStacy Zraket, an eighth-grade science teacher, emphasizes the importance of building trust and respect in the classroom to create a safe learning environment. She believes that fostering a relationship with students is essential for their active participation and willingness to take risks in learning. Despite the challenges of online teaching, Zraket adapts by engaging students through various interactive methods. Recognized for her efforts, she was nominated and won the Brainly Educator of the Year 2024 in the STEM category, an honor she finds both flattering and humbling.

Takeaways

  • 🏆 Stacy Zraket is the Brainly Educator of the Year 2024 in the STEM category.
  • 📚 Teaching for Stacy is more than lesson plans; it's about building connections and trust with students.
  • 👧👦 She emphasizes the importance of creating a safe classroom environment where students feel secure to learn and take risks.
  • 🤝 Stacy models respect in the classroom to teach students how to treat each other respectfully.
  • 🙌 She believes that active participation and engagement from students are crucial for learning.
  • 🔬 As an eighth-grade science teacher, Stacy has adapted to online teaching and seeks to maintain student engagement remotely.
  • 💻 Online school presents challenges in gauging student engagement, which Stacy works to overcome through interactive lessons.
  • 🗣️ She encourages students to have their voices heard in live lessons through various means like chat pods and collaboration boards.
  • 🏫 Stacy's transition from brick and mortar to virtual teaching has been a new challenge that she has embraced.
  • 🌟 Being nominated by her student Kaylee and selected by Brainly is a great honor for Stacy.
  • 🙏 She expresses her gratitude to Brainly for the contest and to the panel for choosing her as the winner.

Q & A

  • Who is Stacey Zraket?

    -Stacey Zraket is a grade eight science teacher who was awarded the Brainly Educator of the Year 2024.

  • What does Stacey Zraket believe is more important than lesson plans in teaching?

    -Stacey Zraket believes that making connections with students and creating a safe classroom environment where they can learn to trust her is more important than lesson plans.

  • How does Stacey Zraket approach building trust with her students?

    -Stacey Zraket builds trust by modeling respect in the classroom, which teaches students to treat each other with respect and become more engaged in the learning process.

  • What does Stacey emphasize as the most important part of teaching?

    -Stacey emphasizes the relationship between teachers and students as the most important part of teaching, as it encourages students to take risks and be active participants in their learning.

  • How does Stacey Zraket address the challenges of online schooling?

    -Stacey addresses online schooling challenges by creating lessons that engage students remotely, using tools like chat pods, collaboration boards, and microphones to ensure student participation.

  • What does Stacey Zraket consider essential for a conducive learning environment?

    -Stacey Zraket considers a safe environment where students feel comfortable taking risks and asking questions as essential for a conducive learning environment.

  • How does Stacey Zraket feel about being nominated for the Brainly Educator of the Year 2024?

    -Stacey Zraket feels flattered and honored for being nominated and selected for the award, especially in the STEM category, which she considers important for students.

  • What is the significance of the Brainly Educator of the Year award for Stacey Zraket?

    -The award signifies recognition of her teaching excellence and her contribution to the STEM field, which is crucial for inspiring students in science, technology, engineering, and math.

  • How does Stacey Zraket ensure that her students' voices are heard in live online lessons?

    -Stacey ensures students' voices are heard by incorporating interactive elements such as chat pods, collaboration boards, and microphone usage during live lessons.

  • What does Stacey Zraket appreciate about Brainly running the contest?

    -Stacey appreciates Brainly for providing a platform to recognize and celebrate educators, and she is thankful for the panel's selection, which she considers a great honor.

Outlines

00:00

👩‍🏫 Building Trust and Respect in the Classroom

Stacy Zraket, an eighth-grade science teacher, emphasizes the importance of establishing trust and respect in the classroom as the foundation for effective teaching. She believes that creating a safe environment where students feel comfortable to take risks and engage actively is crucial. Stacy models respect herself, teaching students to treat each other with respect, which fosters an atmosphere where they are less afraid of making mistakes and more willing to participate. The teacher-student relationship is highlighted as a key component for student engagement and willingness to take risks in learning.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Teaching

Teaching in the context of the video refers to the act of imparting knowledge and skills to students, specifically in a classroom setting. Stacy Zraket emphasizes that teaching is more than just lesson plans; it involves building connections and trust with students. This is crucial for creating a safe and engaging learning environment where students feel comfortable taking risks and participating actively in class.

💡Connections

Connections in this script denote the relationships that teachers form with their students. Stacy highlights the importance of making students feel safe and trusted in the classroom. By establishing these connections, teachers can facilitate a more dynamic and interactive learning experience, which is essential for student engagement and success.

💡Respect

Respect is a core value that Stacy Zraket aims to instill in her students. She models respect in the classroom, teaching them to treat each other with respect. This approach helps create a positive classroom culture where students feel valued and are more likely to engage in the learning process without fear of embarrassment.

💡Active Participation

Active participation is a key concept in the video, describing the desired behavior of students in the classroom. Stacy encourages students to be active participants by raising their hands, asking questions, and engaging in discussions. This is seen as a sign of a successful learning environment where students are not only receiving information but also contributing to it.

💡Risks

Risks in the educational context refer to the challenges or potential failures that students might encounter in their learning process. Stacy emphasizes the importance of creating an environment where students feel safe to take risks and make mistakes. This encourages a growth mindset and fosters a deeper understanding of the material.

💡Relationships

Relationships in the script are the bonds that teachers build with their students. Stacy believes that these relationships are the most important part of teaching. A strong relationship can motivate students to be more engaged, take risks, and put in extra effort, which is crucial for their learning and development.

💡Classroom Environment

The classroom environment is the setting in which learning takes place. Stacy discusses the importance of creating a conducive learning environment, both in physical and virtual classrooms. This environment should be safe, supportive, and encourage active participation and risk-taking.

💡Online School

Online school refers to the mode of education where learning takes place through digital platforms, often remotely. Stacy mentions the challenges of online schooling, such as ensuring student engagement and participation. She emphasizes the need for creative lesson planning to keep students actively involved in the learning process.

💡Engagement

Engagement in the video script is the level of involvement and interaction students have in their learning. Stacy discusses the importance of engaging students in both traditional and online classrooms through various methods, such as chat pods, collaboration boards, and microphone interactions.

💡Brainly Educator of the Year

Brainly Educator of the Year is an award given to recognize outstanding educators. Stacy Zraket was nominated and selected for this award in the STEM category, highlighting her contributions to science, technology, engineering, and math education. The award signifies her dedication and impact on students.

💡STEM

STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. It is a field of education that focuses on these subjects, which are considered crucial for the future workforce. Stacy's nomination in this category underscores her commitment to fostering these skills in her students and the importance of STEM education.

Highlights

Stacy Zraket is the winner of Brainly Educator of the Year 2024.

Teaching is more than lesson plans for Stacy, it's about making connections with students.

Creating a safe classroom environment is crucial for learning.

Stacy emphasizes the importance of building trust with students.

Respect is taught by modeling it in the classroom.

Students learn to treat each other with respect.

Active participation in class is encouraged without fear of making mistakes.

The relationship between teachers and students is vital for engagement.

Students are encouraged to take risks and go the extra effort in learning.

Creating a conducive classroom environment is essential, regardless of the teaching method.

Online school poses challenges in gauging student engagement.

Stacy creates lessons to engage students in a remote setting.

Voices of students need to be heard in every live lesson.

After 14 years in traditional teaching, virtual teaching was a new challenge for Stacy.

Stacy feels flattered to be nominated by her student Kaylee.

Being selected in the STEM category by Brainly is an honor for Stacy.

Stacy appreciates Brainly for running the contest and the panel for selecting her.