Courtney Buck, 4th grade teacher at Belview Elementary, was named MCPS Teacher of the Year. Buck has worked at Belview for nine years.
Buck believes that in order to be an effective teacher, she must first have relationships with her students. “Relationships with students are imperative for having effective instruction,” said Buck. “Students work harder for a teacher who shows interest in them beyond just academics.”
“The examples of Courtney’s impact on students are countless,” said Timothy Moeller, Belview principal. “She always goes the extra mile to ensure that her students have everything that they need both inside and outside of the classroom.”
Buck is known at Belview for technology integration in the classroom. As a certified Google Educator, she uses technology in the classroom to enhance her lessons and engage students. “The outcomes I see from the focus on developing relationships and technology integration have made me love being a teacher more every year,” said Buck.
Buck was chosen from among all of the school level teachers of the year and will move on to the Regional Teacher of the Year competition.
Buck earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a master’s degree in elementary education, both from the University of Mary Washington. She has been an educator for 13 years , the last nine of those years have been at Belview Elementary School.
The Teacher of the Year is selected at the end of one school year and serves as the Teacher of the Year for the following school year, in order to mirror the state process. Courtney Buck is the MCPS Teacher of the Year for 2017-18.
— Submitted by Brenda Drake