Owings Mills Elementary School educator Rebecca Eig named 2017-18 BCPS Teacher of the Year
TOWSON – In introducing his teacher, who later that evening would be named Baltimore County Public Schools 2017-18 Teacher of the Year, Troy Taylor described Rebecca Eig as ”E – encouraging, I – innovative, and G – genuine,” and said that she is one of the reasons he loves learning.
BCPS Superintendent Dr. S. Dallas Dance named Eig, a Grade 2 teacher at Owings Mills Elementary School, as Baltimore County Teacher of the Year. The awards ceremony was held yesterday evening at George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology in Towson.
“Rebecca Eig is exactly the kind of teacher every parent wants for his or her child,” Dr. Dance said. “The depth of her caring for each student comes through in every interaction. She demonstrates tremendous respect for the abilities of her students and that respect leads her to challenge them, listen to them, and support them in accelerating their learning. She is an outstanding representative of the caliber of teachers you can find in every school across this county.”
As Baltimore County’s latest Teacher of the Year, Eig will represent Team BCPS and compete for the honor of Maryland State Teacher of the Year. She will appear across multiple venues to champion the teaching profession as well as what it means to be an educator in BCPS.
Eig, a Canton resident, has been teaching for seven years – all of them at Owings Mills Elementary. At the school, she has been a professional development school mentor, a reading committee member, and a community involvement committee member. Her background includes earning a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from Towson University and a master’s in instructional technology from Towson University.
One of Eig’s role models is her Grade 1 teacher, Mrs. Presler. Eig remembers how her teacher made her feel important in the classroom and in the community. Eig says that she tries to instill that same sense of belonging in her Grade 2 classroom. When new students arrive in her classroom, classmates greet them with a friendly “welcome to our family.” High-fives and positive reinforcement are frequent. (Click here to see a video about Eig.)
In addition to Eig, four other finalists were honored during Wednesday’s ceremony. They are:
- David J. Kreller, coordinator of the school-to-career transition program at Pikesville High School
- Megan N. Stewart, a Grade 3 teacher at Mays Chapel Elementary School
- Shannon M. Strazzire, an Advanced Placement language teacher at Perry Hall High School
- Rebecca A. Talbott, an English and career and technology education teacher at Eastern Technical High School
The Teacher of the Year receives a variety of awards and gifts from the school system, the Education Foundation of Baltimore County Public Schools, and Baltimore County’s business community. The BCPS Teacher and Principal of the Year program thanks the Education Foundation of Baltimore County Public Schools and NTA Life for their support.
The Education Foundation of Baltimore County would like to thank its partners: Baltimore in a Box, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, BCPS Department of Innovative Learning, BCPS Office of Organizational Effectiveness, BCPS Office of Technology, Boscov’s at White Marsh Mall, Jean Blosser, Bread & Circuses Bistro, Capstone, Defined Learning, LLC, Hilary Corna, FastPark, Federal Realty, Genesee Valley Outdoor Learning Center, Heinemann, Hilton, iFly, Kobe, Dr. Crystal Kuykendall, author, From Rage to Hope, Lakeshore Learning Materials, Loyola University, Farrell Maddox, author, Building the Future, National Aquarium, Nelson Coleman Jewelers, Open Door, Red Brick Station, Santoni’s Marketplace and Catering, Shake Shack, Sheraton Baltimore North, Spa on The Avenue, Towson Tavern, Under Armour, and Workbench.
Source: Baltimore County Public Schools, home to 2014 National Teacher of the Year Sean McComb, serves 112,000 students as the nation’s 25th largest school system. Dedicated to producing globally competitive graduates, BCPS is expanding world languages instruction to elementary grades and integrating technology into curriculum and instruction through S.T.A.T. – Students and Teachers Accessing Tomorrow.