Brookfield Board of Education, at its January meeting, congratulates elementary teacher Megan Rodgers for winning the Smart-Maher VFW Citizenship Education Teachers Award for Ohio. In March, Rodgers was named the national awardee.
When the judges for the Veterans of Foreign War’s Department of Ohio were considering the nominees for the Smart-Maher VFW Citizenship Education Teachers Award, “Everyone was within three points of each other,” said Jose Torres, community activities chairman.
Brookfield Elementary School teacher Megan Rodgers eked out the award, scoring better than 24 other nominees. For that, her nomination materials were forwarded to the national office of the VFW for judging against winners in other states.
“She was definitely head and shoulders above the other teachers,” said Lynn Rolf, director of programs for the national legion, making Rodgers the National Elementary Teacher of the Year.
The judges looked at how Rodgers encourages and models citizenship; how she uses innovative ways to engage students; how she uses available resources; and her passion for citizenship and patriotism.
“I’m overwhelmed,” Rodgers said of the national recognition, which is to be formally bestowed at the VFW National Convention in July in Reno.
“I am grateful that people are acknowledging what teachers and I have done,” she said.
The award recognizes the teaching of Americanism and patriotism, something that Rodgers, who was nominated by the Struthers VFW post, said was instilled by her “highly patriotic” family.
“I was raised that way,” she said, noting her dad, her grandfather and several uncles are veterans.
The award recognizes her efforts from throughout her career, which have included saying the Pledge of Allegiance in class; making cards to send to active military overseas; studying the 9/11 terrorist attacks; and taking a class trip to the 9/11 Memorial in Shanksville, Pa.
Rodgers, who has taught at Brookfield for six years, after nine years at Bloomfield-Mespo schools, added that she also has tried to foster good citizenship by having students create virtual bank accounts, earn paychecks, write checks, balance checking accounts, and file federal 1040 EZ tax returns.
These activities also meet educational standards such as working with decimals and being able to write numbers out in words.
“The kids were doing it without realizing they were doing it,” she said of the activities that meet the standards.
Rodgers said she has some ideas for possible future activities that would further student patriotism and citizenship, including creating a wall of photos of students’ family members who are veterans, and holding Veteran’s Day assemblies.
With the recognition comes a $1,000 award that Rodgers can use to pay for future professional development studies; $1,000 for Brookfield schools; two plaques, one for Rodgers and one for the school; and an all-expenses-paid trip to the VFW convention for Rodgers.
“There’s a chance they might still have it,” she said of the convention, noting her parents, Terry and Darla, are planning to attend the convention with her.
