Andrea Blackburn, a 6th grade teacher at Scales Elementary School (TN), has been named the Open Up Resources Teacher of the Month for February 2022. Blackburn is being recognized for her outstanding work in her classroom and ongoing support of teachers across the country as a member of the Open Up Resources National Professional Learning Community.

Dr. Cathy Pressnell, a colleague at Murfreesboro City School District, nominated Blackburn for her enthusiasm and leadership. Pressnell shared, “Despite the chaos that the pandemic has brought to the work of education over the last couple of years, Andrea has cheerfully and enthusiastically been using the second edition of the 6th grade EL materials for the first time – in the middle of this school year.”

In her nomination, Pressnell described Blackburn as a teacher leader. She explained, “Andrea is the epitome of a teacher leader – exploring the materials, working to deeply understand them, and seeking out ways to collaborate with others in our district—and it shows in the results she's seeing in her students' work.”

Pressnell praised Blackburn for her hard work of digging into EL Education K–8 Language Arts and for her dedication to her students. “Andrea has a deep understanding of ELA content and instruction, her students, and the imperative we all face to get this work really right, and she keeps those key ideas front and center every day, in every interaction she has with those around her. It's maybe the hardest balance there is, and Andrea deserves this recognition (and more) for setting a high bar for all of us.”

Open Up Resources is a non-profit on a mission to increase equity in education by making excellent, top-rated curricula freely available to districts. You can learn more at www.openupresources.org.