A fifth grade Humanities teacher at Elmer Wolfe Elementary won the Joan Develin Coley Award for Excellence in Education during the McDaniel College Class of 2020 Celebration Day on May 23.
The Joan Develin Coley Award for Excellence in Education to the student with the best record in the study of literacy theory and practice. The award is presented to the graduate student with the best record in the study of literacy theory and practice, according to a news release by Carroll County Public Schools.
Sarah Watcher is a Westminster native who has been teaching for four years. She won the award while earning her master’s degree in the Reading Specialties Program at McDaniel. The Times recently caught up with her to talk about the award and her career.
Q: What inspired you to be a teacher?
A: My third grade teacher, Mrs. Will, inspired me to be a teacher. When I was in her class she always made me feel special and loved. She let me help her with a lot of things in her classroom and I knew that I wanted to be like her when I grew up. My mom is also a teacher and when I was in Elementary School my parents made me a classroom in our basement. I used to love to play school with my little sisters and I couldn’t wait for the day when I had a real classroom of my own. As I continued to grow and have other amazing teachers, my desire to be in the classroom grew. As a student it was obvious which teachers put their heart into their job. They made you feel important and like your dreams mattered to the world. They motivated me to push myself and never give up. I knew I wanted to do that for kids one day.
Q: What is your favorite part about being a teacher?
A: My students. Every day I look forward to coming to my job because I know I get to spend the day with my students. I love seeing how much they grow throughout the year. I love watching the aha moments when they finally understand something. I love finding a book that gets each of them hooked into reading. I love helping them become stronger writers and I especially love reading their creative writing. Most importantly, I love making connections with them and getting to know their hearts. They make my days so special and I feel extremely lucky to have a job where I get to work with kids. When I started teaching I knew I wanted to inspire my students and teach them everything I could. What I didn’t realize was how much they would inspire and teach me. Each of my students has made an impact on my heart that continues to be what motivates me each day.
Q: What was your initial reaction to finding out that you had won the Joan Develin Coley Award?
A: My initial reaction to finding out that I won the Joan Develin Coley Award was surprise. I did not expect it and I was very happy. Teaching is a job that requires a lot of your personal time and many hours outside of school. It is sometimes overwhelming and all-consuming. It felt good for all of that hard work to be recognized.
Q: What qualities of yours do you think helped you win this award?
A: I want to be the best that I can in my classroom, so when I am in grad classes learning how to be a better teacher I take it very seriously. I want to get the most out of my courses so that I can apply it to my teaching. I love to learn and I am motivated to work hard. To be a good teacher means you are always learning how to be better.
Q: Have you won any other awards during your teaching career? If so, what were the awards and when did you win them?
A: I have been nominated as one of Carroll County’s Outstanding Teachers each year I have taught so far: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020. A parent or other adult in the county has to nominate you to be given that award.