Education

Aledo's Woodson honored by Education Service Center

Named Region 11 Secondary Teacher of the Year

Elisha Woodson (right), biology teacher at Aledo High School, was named Region 11 Secondary Teacher of the Year.

Posted Thursday, August 22, 2024 11:08 am

Elisha Woodson understands the value of a well-rounded career — a career that has now seen her receive recognition as the best at her craft.

Woodson was recently named the Education Service Center (ESC) Region 11 Secondary Teacher of the Year. This comes on the heels of her being named the Aledo ISD Teacher of the Year.

“In May, I received the remarkable honor of being named Teacher of the Year for Aledo ISD. I was surprised and humbled by the recognition. I am grateful for the acknowledgement and recognize the hard work of my colleagues, the admin team, my students and their parents in making teaching such a rewarding experience,” Woodson said.

“The overwhelming feeling I have after being named ESC 11 Secondary Teacher of the Year is a mixture of excitement, pride, and total fear! I cannot say enough how important my team, students, parents, and admin have been to any success I have shown. My team has already worked all summer to ensure we continue our growth.”

Woodson's 15-year career in education began as an administrative secretary. She moved into the classroom 11 years ago.

Woodson came to Aledo in 2018 and has taught freshman biology and pre-advancement-placement biology at Aledo High School ever since. She has been praised for her use of hands-on activities, creating an atmosphere in which all students, regardless of their background or ability, can connect with and understand the material.

In honoring her, judges praised her Positive Impact Project, which fosters a classroom culture of support. They also noted her sponsorship of the Speak Up, Speak Out program, which empowers students to engage in civic issues.

In addition, they were impressed with her proactive approach in addressing campus-wide failure concerns, ensuring that all students have the opportunity to succeed.

“Ms. Woodson strives to make meaningful connections between the curriculum and the interests of her students. By allowing them to have autonomy in the problems they choose to research, they have a personal stake in the learning process and possible solutions. This is integral in maintaining scholarly curiosity in a world where everything is literally at one’s fingertips,” said Lisa Day, judge, former winner of this award and a current teacher in the Northwest ISD.

“Along with Ms. Woodson’s impressive passion for creating strong connections between her students, her content, and her community, what really made us smile was her essay entitled, ‘Teaching is Like Making Tacos: A Recipe for Success.’ Her ability to break down the elements of teaching into simple terms to understand the impact of the school environment, colleague relationships, and student diversity to name a few. It was wonderful! Besides, who doesn’t love a great taco?”

Through it all, Woodson has built a bridge from classroom learning to real-world issues. This helps to enable students to develop a strong connection and become active members of the community.

“We are so incredibly proud of Ms. Woodson being named the Region 11 Secondary Teacher of the Year,” Aledo ISD Superintendent Dr. Susan Bohn said. “She is so kid-focused in all that she does — in how she teaches her students to mastery, how she empowers them to help other students, and how she’s committed to her students having authentic experiences.

"Ms. Woodson doesn’t hesitate to provide extra time, support and intervention to make sure her students really learn the material she’s teaching. We are fortunate that she’s helping us grow greatness in Aledo ISD each and every day!”

Prior to coming to Aledo, Woodson taught in Maypearl and Lake Worth.

She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Science from Western Governors University in 2013, where she also received her Master of Science in Instructional Technology in 2019.

Woodson 's award advances her to compete for Texas Teacher of the Year from the Texas Association of School Administrators. Six semifinalists (three elementary, three secondary) will be announced on Sept. 4.

They will then participate in an interview with the selection committee on Oct. 24, with the elementary and secondary state winners announced on Oct. 25.