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CATHERINE CONKLING-WAGNER, THE TEACHERS’ TEACHER IT TAKES…COURAGE M-DCPS Celebrates Teacher Appreciation Week, May 7-11 Each year, Catherine Conkling-Wagner begins her 11th grade AP Language and Composition classes at Miami Killian Senior High School with the goal of creating a community of learners. Expertly weaving a variety of learning activities into her carefully crafted Language Arts lessons, Conkling-Wagner uses acting, movies, music, and political cartoons to create action-packed, sensory-rich classes. She was honored earlier this year as the Runner-up to Miami-Dade Teacher of the Year. The Week of May 7-11 is Teacher Appreciation Week, and Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) will celebrate Conkling-Wagner and its more than 21,000 teachers with the It Takes…Courage poster, which features all the Teacher of the Year Finalists. Conkling-Wagner comes from a long line of teachers and has been teaching for 17 years, all at her alma mater, Killian Senior High. She makes her classroom a positive place where her students feel appreciated for their strengths and learn to monitor their own success. Whether it’s relying on parental involvement to motivate her students, or planning opportunities for staff in-service, Conkling-Wagner has become a consummate teachers’ teacher. “I encourage everyone to take a moment to thank teachers for the difference they are making everyday,” said M-DCPS Superintendent Rudy Crew. # # # The It Takes… Courage poster features Teacher of the Year Joan Sharperson, Joella C. Good Elementary School; Runner-up Catherine Conkling-Wagner, Miami Killian Senior High School; Finalist Laurence Axtell, Miami Northwestern Senior High School; Finalist Susan Green, Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior High School; Finalist Meghan Hauptli, MAST Academy; Finalist Richard Ingraham, Jr., South Dade Adult Education Center. The poster is available online at http://www2.dadeschools.net/features/itTakes.pdf. 07-FMN-129/HD |
