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

Brainly
12 Jun 202403:12

TLDRStacey Zraket, an eighth-grade science teacher, was named Brainly Educator of the Year 2024. She emphasizes the importance of building relationships with students to foster a safe and respectful learning environment. Zraket believes that this connection is crucial for students to actively participate and take risks in their learning. She also discusses the challenges of online teaching and the importance of engaging students in remote settings, using various tools to ensure their voices are heard. Zraket expresses her gratitude for the nomination and the recognition of her efforts in the STEM field.

Takeaways

  • 🏆 Stacy Zraket is the Brainly Educator of the Year 2024 in the STEM category, emphasizing the importance of science, technology, engineering, and math education.
  • 👩‍🏫 Teaching for Stacy is more than lesson plans; it's about building connections and trust with students to create a safe learning environment.
  • 📚 Stacy models respect in the classroom, teaching students to treat each other with respect, which is key to fostering an engaging learning atmosphere.
  • 🙌 She believes in the importance of student participation and encourages them to be active without fear of making mistakes or feeling embarrassed.
  • 🔗 The relationship between teachers and students is crucial for students to take risks and make an extra effort in learning.
  • 🏢 Whether in-person or virtual, creating a conducive classroom environment is vital for learning, especially for students to feel safe taking risks.
  • 💻 Online teaching presents unique challenges, such as ensuring student engagement in a remote setting.
  • 🔬 As an eighth-grade science teacher, Stacy focuses on creating interactive lessons that keep students engaged even when teaching through a computer.
  • 🗣️ In online classes, it's essential to find ways for students to have their voices heard, such as through chat pods, collaboration boards, or microphone interactions.
  • 🎉 Stacy is flattered and honored by her nomination and Brainly's selection, showing appreciation for the recognition of her efforts in education.
  • 🙏 She expresses gratitude to Brainly for running the contest and to the panel for selecting her, highlighting the significance of such acknowledgments in the field of education.

Q & A

  • What is Stacy Zraket's profession?

    -Stacy Zraket is an eighth-grade science teacher.

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

    -Stacy 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 Stacy Zraket approach teaching respect in her classroom?

    -Stacy Zraket teaches respect by modeling it herself, allowing students to learn how to treat each other with respect.

  • What does Stacy Zraket consider the most important part of teaching?

    -Stacy Zraket considers the relationship that teachers build with students as the most important part of teaching.

  • Why is it important for students to feel safe and be able to take risks in their learning according to Stacy Zraket?

    -It is important for students to feel safe and take risks in their learning because it allows them to be active participants in class, engage more, and not worry about making mistakes or feeling embarrassed.

  • What challenges does Stacy Zraket face when teaching online?

    -Stacy Zraket faces the challenge of not knowing if students are engaging on the other end of the computer during online school.

  • How does Stacy Zraket engage students in a remote setting?

    -Stacy Zraket engages students in a remote setting by creating lessons that involve them through chat pods, collaboration boards, and microphone interactions.

  • How many years of experience does Stacy Zraket have in brick and mortar teaching?

    -Stacy Zraket has 14 years of experience in brick and mortar teaching.

  • What does Stacy Zraket feel about being nominated for the Brainly Educator of the Year 2024?

    -Stacy Zraket feels flattered and honored to be nominated and selected by Brainly, especially in the STEM category.

  • How does Stacy Zraket express her gratitude to Brainly for the contest and selection?

    -Stacy Zraket expresses her gratitude by thanking Brainly for running the contest and the panel for selecting her.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Building Trust and Respect in the Classroom

Stacy Zraket, an eighth-grade science teacher, emphasizes the significance of establishing trust and respect in the classroom as the foundation of effective teaching. She believes that creating a safe and nurturing environment is crucial for students to feel comfortable enough to engage actively in learning. Stacy models respect to teach students how to treat each other with kindness, which in turn fosters a classroom atmosphere where students are not afraid to participate and take risks without the fear of embarrassment.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Teaching

Teaching is the act of imparting knowledge, skills, and values to students. In the video, Stacy Zraket emphasizes that teaching goes beyond just lesson plans to include building connections and trust with students. It is central to the video's theme as it highlights the importance of the teacher-student relationship in creating a conducive learning environment.

💡Connections

Connections refer to the relationships and rapport established between the teacher and students. Stacy mentions making connections with her kids as a crucial part of teaching, which helps in creating a safe and trusting classroom environment where students feel comfortable to learn and participate.

💡Classroom Environment

The classroom environment encompasses the physical and psychological atmosphere where learning takes place. Stacy discusses the importance of creating a classroom environment that fosters learning, where students feel safe to take risks and engage actively in the learning process.

💡Respect

Respect is the act of showing consideration and value for others. Stacy teaches her students about respect by modeling it in the classroom, which is a key strategy to build a positive and collaborative learning atmosphere where students treat each other with kindness and consideration.

💡Active Participation

Active participation is when students are engaged and contribute to the learning process by asking questions, sharing ideas, and interacting with the material and each other. Stacy aims to encourage active participation by creating a respectful and safe environment where students are not afraid to make mistakes.

💡Risks

Risks in an educational context refer to the willingness of students to try new things, ask questions, or offer answers without fear of failure or embarrassment. Stacy believes that building a relationship with students is essential for them to feel comfortable taking these risks, which is vital for their learning and growth.

💡Engagement

Engagement is the level of interest and involvement students show in their learning. Stacy discusses the challenges of ensuring student engagement in an online setting, emphasizing the need for interactive lessons that allow students to have their voices heard and participate actively.

💡Remote Setting

A remote setting refers to an educational environment where instruction is delivered and received outside of a traditional classroom, often through digital means. Stacy talks about the unique challenges of teaching in a remote setting and the importance of finding ways to engage students despite the physical distance.

💡Lessons

Lessons are the educational content and activities planned and delivered by a teacher. Stacy mentions creating lessons that engage kids in a remote setting, indicating the need for innovative and interactive teaching methods that can capture students' interest and participation.

💡Brainly Educator of the Year

Brainly Educator of the Year is an award that recognizes outstanding educators in the field. Stacy Zraket is the winner of this prestigious award in 2024, which signifies her excellence in teaching and her impact on students, particularly in the STEM category.

💡STEM

STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. It represents the fields of education that are considered crucial for the future workforce. Stacy's recognition in the STEM category by Brainly highlights the significance of these subjects and her contribution to students' understanding and interest in these areas.

Highlights

Stacy Zraket is the Brainly Educator of the Year 2024, teaching grade eight science.

Teaching for Stacy is about making connections and creating a safe classroom environment.

Stacy emphasizes the importance of trust in the teacher-student relationship.

She models respect in the classroom to foster a respectful learning environment.

Stacy's approach encourages students to actively participate without fear of making mistakes.

The teacher-student relationship is key to engagement and risk-taking in learning.

Creating a conducive learning environment is crucial, whether in-person or virtually.

Stacy discusses the challenges of online learning and student engagement.

She highlights the need for innovative lessons to engage students in a remote setting.

Stacy's strategies include using chat pods, collaboration boards, and microphones for interaction.

After 14 years of in-person teaching, virtual teaching presented a new challenge for Stacy.

Gauging student participation in a virtual setting is more difficult, according to Stacy.

Stacy feels flattered and honored to be nominated and selected by Brainly in the STEM category.

She thanks Brainly for running the contest and the panel for selecting her.

Stacy's nomination by her student Kaylee and Brainly's selection signifies recognition of her teaching methods.

The importance of science, technology, engineering, and math education is underscored by Stacy's award.