Lindsey Brown of MLHS ACTE/Region III ‘New Teacher of the Year’
The Minnesota Association for Career and Technical Education (MnACTE) is has announced that Lindsey Brown, agriculture education teacher at Mountain Lake Public High School, and FFA Co-Advisor, has received the ACTE (Association for Career and Technical Education)/Region III “New Teacher of the Year” award for 2016. This special award was announced at the ACTE/Region III Conference in Jefferson City, Missouri held on June 17.
Nominated by MnACTE, Brown was selected above other candidates from Region III (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, and Wisconsin – in addition to Minnesota) who are new to the teaching profession with three-to-five years of experience.
Brown, a graduate of Mountain Lake Public High School and the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, was nominated for, and recognized with, the award because she is innovative in her teaching and willing to work “outside the box.” This past school year, she taught 15 different high school classes including Horticulture, Floriculture, Landscaping, Animal Science, Small Animals, Vet Science with Human Anatomy, Food Science and World Foods, Personal Finance, FACS (Family and Consumer Science) 8-Food Agriculture and Consumer Skills (which covers technology, cooking, basic sewing and more), Advanced Projects-Arts and Advanced Culinary Skills.
Brown makes every effort to make her classes “hands-on, minds-on.” She focuses on student leadership in her classes, encouraging them to think and work independently with problem-solving activities. She strives to challenge her students with rigor and relevance by taking them out of their comfort zone. She knows they may struggle at first, but with her encouragement and support, students gain confidence and find success.
“I believe it is a tremendous opportunity to welcome new students into our program. Students that didn’t want to come into the Agriculture Department before are now given the opportunity to learn about agriculture through a different pathway,” explains Brown.
Brown will be competing against four other regional winners for the National ACTE 2016 “New Teacher of the Year” award at the ACTE Career Vision Conference in Las Vegas to be held November 30-to-December 3. She will also be recognized at the upcoming Minnesota Career and Technical Education CTE Works Conference on November 16 in Bloomington.
Now in its 88th year, ACTE is the largest national education association dedicated to the advancement of education that prepare youth and adults for careers. ACTE currently has a membership of more than 25,000 teachers, counselors, and administrators at the middle school, high school, and postsecondary levels as well as nonprofit organizations and corporations working with CTE (Career and Technical Education) educators on workplace skills. MnACTE is the state professional association for the field of career and technical education and an affiliate of ACTE.
