Erin Lewis Honored as 2020-21 Teacher of the Year

Erin Lewis Honored as 2020-21 Teacher of the Year

   Erin Lewis, a transitional kindergarten through third grade Special Day Class (SDC) teacher at Cogswell Elementary School is Mountain View School District’s 2020-2021 Teacher of the Year. 

     Lewis has been an educator for 25 years, dedicating the last 21 years to MVSD.  She is a phenomenal teacher who provides exceptional instruction and inspiration for her students each day. Whether teaching in-person in her classroom or virtually during the current phase of distance learning, her innovative and engaging lessons ignite a spark in her students. 

     According to Shane Muetzel, principal at Cogswell School, Erin touches the lives of each and every student she teaches and treats every student in her class with the same care and concern that she would have for her own children. 

     “Erin puts in countless hours to design innovative, engaging, and exciting lessons that are individually tailored to each of her students.  She advocates for her students and works tirelessly to bring out the best in every one of them.  Erin challenges students to set and reach new goals and she celebrates their successes alongside them.  She is a special teacher and her impact on her students is immeasurable,” said Muetzel.     

     Throughout her 21 years in MVSD Lewis has served the district and schools in a variety of ways including being part of the Teaching English Learners through the Arts (TELA) committee and Technology Integrated Learning & Teaching (TILT), serving as a Drumfit Teacher Leader, and sharing her expertise as a Seesaw Certified Educator. 

     As an educator, Lewis believes every child has the potential to learn when given the appropriate tools and materials for success.  Finding and sharing joy is her current teaching philosophy. 

     “Whether it is crocheting at recess with former students, creating a contingency map for a student or even more currently imagining with a student that zombies got his internet preventing him from accessing our seesaw account, finding the cheer has made all difference in how we learn, how much we learn and if we want to learn at all each day,” said Lewis. “I appreciate my students, their parents and all in the district who have taught me and helped me grow and I look forward to seeing what joy we can find next.”

     “Visiting Mrs. Lewis’ classroom is magical,” said Adam Carranza, MVSD Board of Education Vice President.  “Her students are always eager to show us what they are doing and it’s always impressive.  She is truly an extraordinary educator,” he added.

     Lewis was recently honored alongside other area school district Teachers of the Year during the Los Angeles County Teacher of the Year Virtual Ceremony.  Los Angeles County Superintendent of Schools, Debra Duardo presented the outstanding educators in a virtual ceremony broadcast on social media.

     “During this time of extraordinary challenges to our school communities, it is especially important that we pay tribute to our outstanding teachers who, in the face of a pandemic, are bringing care, compassion and ingenuity to their virtual classrooms,” Duardo said. “I am truly impressed by their innovative practices and the partnerships they are building to keep students learning and thriving.”

      MVSD is proud to have such an exemplary teacher representing the District as Teacher of the Year and is grateful Mrs. Lewis is part of the Mountain View Team.  

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