Teachers of the Year Announced, Say They’re Honored and Thankful

TYLER – Tyler ISD’s teachers of the year say they’re honored and thankful after they were announced Tuesday night at a banquet at the Crosswalk Conference Center at Green Acres Baptist Church. Yvonne Malmstrom (left), third grade math and science teacher at Caldwell Elementary Arts Academy, is the District Elementary Teacher of the Year. The district’s Secondary Teacher of the Year is Casey Graves (right), sixth grade English Language Arts and Reading teacher at Hubbard Middle School.

Acknowledging the hard work all teachers do, Graves told KTBB, “They show up at school every day, and they know that the odds are against them, but they keep coming through the door and loving kids — and that’s what our job is really all about.” Malmstrom looked to the future, expressing excitement that her school will soon be converted to an arts magnet. She said, “We’re getting ready to set the world on fire at Caldwell…and I just can’t wait for the community to see what we’re gonna do with our kids through the arts.” The district teachers of the year will advance to compete for Regional Teacher of the Year through the Region 7 Service Center.

The District also presented the Rookie of the Year award to recognize a teacher who demonstrates outstanding performance and superior instruction skills during their first year of teaching. The 2018 Rookie of the Year award was given to Jessilyn Taylor from Jones Elementary School.