March SuperStar Teacher: Celebrating Stephanie Roden at F.E. Burleson Elementary School
Mrs. Stephanie Roden, a gifted specialist at F.E. Burleson Elementary School in Hartselle, is the Decatur-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce's SuperStar Teacher for March. She is a veteran teacher who has taught secondary English, served as Library Media Specialist and just recently moved into her second year as a gifted specialist for Hartselle City Schools.
The nomination received from Hartselle City Schools Gifted Program Coordinator Elisa Harris celebrated all the opportunities Mrs. Roden has brought not only to her gifted students and but all students at F.E. Burleson Elementary. It goes on to read, “She starts most school days at 7:00 a.m. with Robotics teams helping them prepare for competitions where she has teams that have qualified for VEX Worlds for two straight years. She has also started Drone and Green Power Car competition teams. Mrs. Roden has a passion for enriching her students with as many experiences. She works tirelessly seeking and receiving grants to help fund her students' needs. She recently received a $30,000 ALSDE Gifted Program grant and a $5,000 STEM grant from TVA. Mrs. Roden was also recently named the VEX Teacher of the Year for the state of Alabama at the state VEX competition.”
Today, our presenting sponsor, Hubbard & Drake General - Mechanical Contractors, Inc. represented by Brian Beidleman, our March sponsor American National Insurance - Webb-Awtrey Agency represented by Dustin Awtrey, Chamber board member Jeni Jordan along with Chamber staff, surprised Mrs. Roden with two gift cards—one for her classroom and one for personal use.
“I love teaching because I love these kids. They have so much to give and so much to offer. They are learning something new every day,” said Mrs. Roden.
The Chamber kicked off this initiative in January and we are excited to recognize outstanding educators like Mrs. Roden who not only make learning fun but also leave a lasting impact on their students and community. Throughout the year, we'll continue to surprise and honor educators in Decatur-Morgan County who exemplify excellence in teaching and inspire those around them.