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3/ TheBucknerClarion.com May 28, 2015 Cristil Rogers, library media specialist at Indian Trails Elementary in the Fort Osage School District, was recently named the 2015-2016 District Teacher of the Year. Both surprised and honored, Rogers sat down with The Buckner Clarion to discuss what this award means to her. Rogers, who holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Graceland University, a Master of Science in Instructional Technology and an Educational Specialist in Elementary Administration, both from Northwest Missouri State University, was not originally clear as to what career she should pursue. From the beginning, Rogers wanted to be a graphic designer; however, she quickly learned she would have to move to pursue that career, something she was not comfortable with because of close family ties. After that realization, Rogers moved her focus to another passion - art. Being an art teacher, Rogers found, was not conducive to her schedule. So, again, Rogers found herself reconsidering what career would fit her life best. After all of the back-and-forth, she had an epiphany. "I decided, 'You know what? I can do all those things (graphic design, art and other creative outlets) in an elementary classroom,'" she said. "It was an avenue for me to get my creativeness out, while helping my students find their passion also." Over a decade later, and a few flip-flops between second and fourth grade classrooms, Rogers found her niche as a tech-savvy librarian. "I am responsible for the library portion of everything that is happening in the building, but the media part of my job holds the expectation that we are utilizing technology and computer labs consistently," she said. However, Rogers insists her methods of employing technology in teaching is not just fun and games. "My students don't just come here and hang out. I reinforce the use of Chromebooks and I will ask students to bring them to library because that gives them time to learn and do things they don't typically have time to do in the classroom. I can teach students to do things on their Chromebooks because that is within my curriculum." Aside from holding high expectations for her students, Rogers cites individuality as being the most effective teaching tool she uses. "Honestly, it is about being as individualized as you can. It can be hard to accomplish when we are in the library because students only have a certain amount of time with me," she said. "But what is so different about the library here at Indian Trails because I now have this sense of fully knowing what I am doing. This honor has made me realize that these kids need me." For those entering the field of teaching, Rogers has some sound advice about what sets an outstanding teacher apart from all the rest. "A good teacher is going to teach and their kids are going to learn. But an outstanding teacher will influence. They will have influence over a student's life so that when that student gets out the door, they will think back and remember that time they were influenced to be the best they could be," she said. "Do not give up, be flexible and understanding, and build relationships." With another school year behind her, Rogers' new title comes with several perks she could not be more thrilled to enforce in the upcoming year. Convocation, for example, the first day staff gets together and starts work for a new school year, is the event Rogers looks forward to most. "I will get to go in front of all the Fort Osage teachers and staff at the beginning of the year and welcome them back to school. It is a big deal and involves me coming up with a huge message and speech to pep everyone up. I am actually really excited about that." is that I support whatever the teachers are teaching in the classroom. So, they might come to me for more individualized teaching strategies with the students. I have my own set of curriculum, but if they are focusing on prefixes and suffixes, then that is something I make sure to add to my lessons, tailoring them to that curriculum, that day or week." Because of the various grade levels Rogers encounters daily, she said it is the relationships she forms that are the most rewarding part of her job. "I really truly think and believe that for some of these kids, this place right here is the place that gives them the most joy. Being able to give that student the joy that they may not get at home is so rewarding," she said. "And when you see a light bulb go off in a student's head because they finally get it, and you know you are the one that taught them that, it is pretty powerful as well." Rogers said from time to time, former students come back to visit. "There are just lots of little things that I appreciate about this job. I come here, do my job, love my job and I am just so passionate about my job. However, when I go home, I really don't think about what lives I have touched. It's when students come back to you and tell you how you have influenced them that it really hits home," she said. "I am in that process now, and because this is my 11th year teaching, some of my first-year students are graduating high school and that is when they turn around and come back to me and say how I have affected them. Then, I think, 'Wow, I really did make a difference.'" Even after finding out she was Teacher of the Year, Rogers experienced a prolonged state of disbelief. "It is very humbling. I have had to really think about what makes me different than others and it has really been difficult. I have had all kinds of people ask me all kinds of different questions, like, 'Why do you think you were the one?' And I do not know. I really truly am amongst some of the best people around," she said. "There are so many people I could point out that could be in my seat. And at first, I was convinced it was just luck that it was me. But this experience has just been a time of reflection and so encouraging. This job can be hard and it can be challenging. But out of all the things I have learned, it's really about a switch in attitude. We all have our hard days where we don't want to come in. And work is work, even if we love it. However, those days just don't exist anymore By Morgan Nail Reexamining her career, thus far, and the high honor she has been awarded, Rogers said one of the biggest lessons she has learned is to be reflective. "Being reflective is something that has been so hard for me, even as an adult. I have not always been dealt the best hand, so early on, I always had an attitude of, 'Why me?' But as I grew up just a little bit, I realized it does not matter where you came from or the cards you were dealt. If you can be reflective about what got you in that position or how you are going to get out of that position, life just becomes a little bit easier. You realize there are things you can change about yourself, and that doesn't mean you are a bad person, it doesn't mean that you can't do it, it just means you need to reflect. Always take time to think about what you can do differently and act on it. And if you fail, try again." Moving forward, Rogers will attend a workshop, provided by the State of Missouri, that all district Teacher of the Year awardees can take part in to potentially transition into different levels of achievement. "After the workshop, I will gather and send my portfolio to the State. Once that is done, I will compete with other district Teacher of the Year winners at a state and even national level," she said. "It's exciting. And now that I have made it this far, of course I am going to continue to give it my all."