Beth Maloney named Arizona Teacher of the Year 2014
National Louis University alumna Beth Maloney (B.A. Elementary Education ’01, M.Ed. Administration and Supervision ’05) has been named Arizona Teacher of the Year for 2014. Maloney teaches 5th grade at Sunset Hills Elementary School in Surprise, AZ.
“It’s such an amazing honor and such a big responsibility at the same time. I just feel really privileged that I’m able to represent the teachers of Arizona and, to an extent, the teachers of America. It’s just amazing. It feels absolutely wonderful,” said Maloney.
Maloney has been a teacher for 15 years and was chosen for her excellence in the classroom and for serving as a teacher leader in her school and the Dysart Unified School District. It was her use of technology in the classroom caught the AEF’s eye during the Teacher of the Year selection process.
She has enjoyed great success in the classroom and credits National Louis University for giving her the tools to succeed. Small classes with individual instruction from professors provided a special experience that she remembers fondly. Maloney’s first teaching opportunity arose after a teacher left in the middle of the school year and created an urgent vacancy. And even though Maloney felt like she was being thrown into the fire, she knew she was fully prepared to handle the challenge of her new position after completing her undergraduate experience at NLU.
Arizona’s Teacher of the Year program is sponsored by the Arizona Educational Foundation, which annually recognizes 10 exceptionally skilled and dedicated pre-kindergarten through 12th grade public school teachers. Nominees are those individuals who have gained the respect and admiration of students, parents, and co-workers. They play an active and useful role in their communities as well as their schools, often distinguishing themselves as leaders. They have a superior ability to help all students achieve.
As Teacher of the Year, Maloney will have the opportunity to meet President Barack Obama, attend international space camp in Huntsville, Ala., and receive a host of awards and recognitions.
