Alumna Honored by State Organization as Teacher of the Year
Posted on 11/7/2008
Helen Eaton, a teacher at Holcomb Elementary School in Fayetteville, has been named Arkansas English Elementary Teacher of the Year by the Arkansas Council of Teachers of English and Language Arts.
She earned a master's degree in educational administration and a bachelor's degree in elementary education from the University of Arkansas.
She was nominated by Chris Goering, assistant professor of secondary English and literacy education at the university. Eaton is described as an outstanding selection based on her teaching innovations, research, publication and service to her students, parents and professional membership organizations.
Eaton has co-edited two books, Spark the Brain, Ignite the Pen: Quick Writes for Kindergarten Through High School Teachers and Beyond and The Flavor of Our Words. In addition, she has 23 years' experience in teaching second through fourth grade and has been a Northwest Arkansas Writing Project teacher-consultant for workshops, writing conferences held at the University of Arkansas, and on sites of various school districts for the past 10 years.
She serves on the Arkansas Reading Content Committee and Range-Finding Committee for fourth-grade Benchmark, and she has served on and chaired many committees such as M.A.T. Mentor University-School Partnership, the School Improvement Council, Arkansas Smart Start, and the Young Authors Conference Committee.
Eaton will receive her award at the fall luncheon of the Arkansas Council of Teachers of English and Language Arts on Thursday, Nov. 13. The luncheon is part of the ACTELA Fall Conference, which is held in conjunction with the fall convention of the Arkansas Educators Association and the Arkansas Curriculum Conference
"I have known Helen Eaton for over 12 years as a friend, as a fellow Northwest Arkansas Writing Project teacher-consultant and director, and as a colleague in my school district," said Anne Lane, also a Fayetteville teacher. "Everything Helen does is with great commitment, unlimited talent and an engaging presence. Children who have the privilege to have Helen Eaton as their teacher are truly blessed and will be enriched in every aspect of their young lives. I truly believe that Helen's dedication to her craft and her involvement in her students' lives will positively affect them long after they have left her classroom."
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