Teacher of the Year is one of the most prestigious awards Millbrook offers its teachers. These teachers exemplify the very best in teaching, service to the school, and character.  Last year’s Teacher of the Year was Mr. James, and the torch has now been passed to Lauren Genesky. Mrs. Genesky is one of the most involved teachers at Millbrook. In addition to being the English I team leader, she is one of the teachers who has stepped up to teach IB classes. She has taught IB Literature to seniors for four years and now teaches Theory of Knowledge. Mrs. Genesky goes above and beyond the requirements of a teacher in her leadership of Junior Class Council and Key Club. In addition to her energetic and captivating teaching, these are all reasons why Mrs. Genesky is a deserving teacher of the Year.

Last week during one of her IB Language A classes, a group of administrators and English teachers entered the classroom to announce the award, including Mrs. King Mr. Dansky, and, of course, Mr. Genesky. They regaled the class with examples of Mrs. Genesky’s extensive contributions to the school and brought cupcakes to celebrate her winning the award.  Mrs. Genesky said, “I was very surprised because I think that Cope and Fonke are amazing teachers, and we all started at Millbrook together. A lot of the things I do in my classroom are based off conversations I’ve had with them or things I’ve seen them do.”

It was obvious that the students in the class agreed that Mrs. Genesky deserved being named Teacher of the Year. As IB seniors, several students had taken Paideia with her as well or served on Junior Class Council. Senior Chloe Shultz commented, “She’s very involved in more than just teaching at the school. She has a lot of passion for what she does. She’s enthusiastic about her work and it shows in how she teaches.” Although embarrassed by the attention, the ever modest Mrs. Genesky was happy to receive the award. She admitted, “No teacher is excited to see a gaggle of administrators at the door, but it is an honor to know that my colleagues see me in that way.”