In front of an enthusiastic crowd full of campus Teacher of the Years from across Round Rock ISD, Voigt Arts Integration Academy Instructional Technology Specialist (ITS) Katie Leining was named as the District’s 2020 Elementary Teacher of the Year.
The announcement occurred during the District’s annual banquet Monday evening, sponsored by the Round Rock ISD Partners in Education (PIE) Foundation and A+ Federal Credit Union.
Leining was named the Teacher of the Year at Voigt and was selected among 34 elementary educators to represent the District at the region competition. She has been an educator for 11 years, five of which have been serving their campus as their ITS.
“My work each day is not just about the students in front of me, but about how they impact their community and our world,” Leining said. “Every day I lead my students and school in a way that models the positive impact they can have on the people around them. I hope that they understand the ripple effect that can take place when they spread kindness and empathy, continue to learn, and do something for the greater good.”
Leining began her career as a fourth-grade teacher, a position she never imagined herself in but ultimately came to realized that it was the grade level and profession that chose her, she said. With every year that passed, she fell in love with not only teaching but the students and the opportunity to combine her love of technology and education.
Continuing to grow as an educator, she has always looked for ways to build her skills and her fellow teachers’ and students’ skills, which may occasionally take them outside of their comfort zone. It’s a mindset that impacts her teaching each year as she works to meet the needs of students.
Leining will continue to the 2020 Region 13 Elementary Teacher of the Year competition where she will represent Round Rock ISD in hopes of becoming the 2020 Texas Elementary Teacher of the Year.
“The passion that Katie Leining has for her students and creating meaningful learning experiences is apparent the second you meet her,” Superintendent Steve Flores Ph.D. said. She is the real deal, a quality educator who champions for equity for all students and we are proud to celebrate her as an educator and as our District’s representative at the regional level.”
