Crockett Elementary Educator Named TPAC Teacher of the Year

From WCS inFocus

Stephanie Higgs
Stephanie Higgs

Crockett Elementary gifted teacher Stephanie Higgs is the 2020-21 Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC) Teacher of the Year.

The Teacher of the Year recipients participate in TPAC education programs and connect their students to the arts. Throughout the 2020-21 school year, Higgs used the virtual learning expeditions provided by TPAC to show her students performances such as The Frog Bride, A Christmas Carol, Aesop Bops and more. The online format allowed Higgs to immerse students in more shows than if they had to travel during the school day.

“Being named the TPAC Teacher of the Year as a result of my work regarding arts integration was a full-circle moment for me,” Higgs said. “I attended my first performances as a child on school field trips, so it was especially exciting for me to be able to offer the same opportunities to my own students now that I am an educator.”

As a TPAC Teacher of the Year, Higgs received a $1,000 grant for Crockett Elementary.

“It is my belief that learning must extend past the four walls of the classroom and the front and back of a textbook,” she said. “Immersing my students in community offerings was especially rewarding, and I was able to grant my students access to the arts during a time when these opportunities were very limited.”

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