Annie Glass recognized as ‘Teacher of the Year’ at Midtown Elementary

MADISON – Annie Glass, “Teacher of the Year” at Midtown Elementary School, attributes her recognition as a testament to her students’ incredible energy and her colleagues’ dedication.

“We all know that teaching is a whirlwind of caffeine, meetings, planning, pivoting and ‘a-ha’ moments. When I first saw the team coming into my room for Teacher of the Year, I thought, ‘Is this real life?’” Glass said.

“This moment was definitely surreal and something special I’ll always remember. I would be lying if I said that I did not blink twice,” she said.

For teachers’ routines, a team effort is essential – “most of the time without skipping a beat,” Glass said. “It’s an honor to stand with other educators who give so much of their hearts to this profession every single day.”

Glass first taught in Grand Forks Public Schools District in North Dakota. In 2016, she moved to Madison. Friends told Glass about outstanding achievements in Madison City Schools. “I saw quickly that Madison was an education-focused community; that was important to me. I knew that was where I wanted to land and was blessed with that working out.”

She started teaching at West Madison Elementary School. When West Madison closed, Glass transferred to Midtown.

As a student teacher, Glass was asked which grade level interested her. Her answer: “Any grade but fifth grade.” Ironically, she was assigned fifth grade. “From that first day of student-teaching to all these years later, I’m still in fifth grade.”

“Success can have so many different vantage points. Every year as we meet our new students, we try to figure them out,” Glass said. “To be a successful teacher, it’s crucial to put effort into building relationships with your students. This looks different from student to student. As a result, success has so many definitions.”

She cited examples of student success: * Struggling with phonics and spelling patterns but finally having a lightbulb moment.

* Disengaged; sitting quietly in the back of the classroom. Now, raising a hand to ask/answer questions.

* Previously disruptive and offtask. Now collaborating with peers.

* Upset about a lower-than-expected test score. Responding now with “I know where I made my mistakes. Next time, I’ll double check my work.” Resilience has grown within the child.

“I look forward to hearing a student or a parent say, ‘He never liked to read before your class’ or ‘English has always been her worst subject, but she gets it now,’” Glass said.

Glass has a ‘good day’ when resolution occurs. When this school year started, one student told Glass about her demanding schedule. She was unhappy and specifically hated English class. Glass thought to herself, “Challenge accepted.”

“Conversations with this child about her interests and finding what we had in common helped to shift her attitude. She felt welcomed and began to ask questions in class and participate,” Glass said. “Her test scores moved with increased engagement and wonderful help of an awesome tutor.”

Glass’ hometown is Manvel, N.D. She attended Saint Cloud State University in North Dakota for a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. She earned certification in ELA for grades 6-8.

“Aaron Glass is my husband. We moved here for his job in marketing and social media. We have a dog named Juju,” Annie said.

During school breaks, Annie often makes the 19-hour drive to North Dakota to visit relatives. “In my free time, I’m often baking sourdough bread — relaxing and rewarding! You end up with a consumable, tangible product,” she said.

“I love mixing up my reading with various genres,” Annie said. “I’m a big fan of podcasts, especially mysteries and true crime. Growing up in North Dakota established my enjoyment of watching both college and NHL hockey. I also appreciate spending time growing flowers and plants.”