SAN ANTONIO — Stephanie Cash of the Advanced Learning Academy in San Antonio has been selected by Humanities Texas as one of 10 recipients of the 2018 Outstanding Teaching of the Humanities Award.
- San Antonio teacher receives award for outstanding teaching
- One of 10 teachers to get the award
- More than 750 teachers were nominated
U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) and Humanities Texas Communications Officer Marissa Kessenich presented Cash with her award at the ALA Fox Tech campus on Monday, March 18. Cash received a $5,000 cash award, with an additional $500 for the Advanced Learning Academy to purchase instructional materials.
Cash has been teaching for 11 years and was a founding member of ALA, which opened two years ago. In addition to being the English department chairperson, she is the co-creator and co-teacher of an eighth-grade humanities course in partnership with an ALA social studies teacher. She also teaches an 8th–12th grade student leadership course.
“My sense of purpose and innovation challenges me to grow as a teacher and a leader,” Cash said. “It is a compass that guides how I teach my subject as I travel down the path of learning with my students.”
As part of Cash’s humanities class, her students engage in creative projects that foster a deeper understanding of the course content. Her students have created children’s books about the Bill of Rights that were later read to second graders at ALA. Earlier in the semester, Cash’s students created podcast episodes demonstrating diverse perspectives on the American Revolution.
“Stephanie has quickly built a campus-wide reputation as an educator who cares deeply about her students, her craft and about the continual improvement of our new school,” said Cynthia Solis, the director of administrative services at SAISD and Cash’s nominator for the award. “Students find success in her classroom because she presents them with engaging tasks, lets them know she believes in them and offers support to those who are not there yet.”
Humanities Texas is the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Its mission is to advance education through programs that improve the quality of classroom teaching, support libraries and museums and create opportunities for lifelong learning for all Texans.
Humanities Texas presents annual statewide awards to encourage excellence in teaching and recognize Texas classroom teachers who have made exemplary contributions in teaching, curriculum development and extracurricular programming. The organization received over 750 nominations for the 2018 awards.
