District names teacher of the year

Brittney Montgomery has been selected as the Sweetwater County School District No. 2 Teacher of the Year.

Montgomery is the epitome of what an "excellent teacher is" and is a great example of the type of teachers that we have at Sweetwater School District No. 2.

Here are some comments, from the multiple nominations from Montgomery's colleagues:

Brittney takes pride in her work as a teacher. She is dedicated to her students and always works to provide the best education to all of them. She teaches in both the classroom and online learning. Her level of commitment exceeds the expectations of parents and staff within the district. Brittney is always looking for ways to challenge her students while providing interesting and exciting lessons for all.

During the school shut down, Brittney set up a daily story time for her students. This was noticed by an online site, and was presented to the viewers to have access to the program.

She did this as an opportunity for anyone who wanted to take advantage of having their child/family be read to daily.

Brittney has gone above and beyond this year. She has a fierce love for her students and they know how much she cares. She has exceeded expectations to make sure every student has what they need to succeed.

Whether is alternative seating, noise canceling headphones, a quick picture or message sent to parents, a hug, or a pep talk to keep the kids going.

Brittney sees the child first, they are her top priority. She has navigated being an online and in classroom teacher beautifully. As a family that had to quarantine, she had everything in place and ready to go for each day.

My child knew what was expected and was seamlessly able to do all her schoolwork. Brittney has a love for life and learning and she passes it on to her class. Her efforts have provided a wonderful learning environment to all, especially in a year that had so many unknown factors!

She took on additional responsibility to teach the online portion of the students that opted to stay home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Brittney has worked tirelessly to make sure that her students have all the necessities (pencils, paper packet in case internet does not work for the online student) in order to be successful in their learning.

Brittney also displays an incredible amount of patience, understanding and compassion for her students. She has a way with children who are struggling to feel heard and loved. I also have witnessed the dedication she shows to create a safe environment. Brittney also shares this passion for learning into our community.

Brittney has been reading online since the pandemic begun last year to connect with the kids during a time of isolation. She started the process on her personal Facebook page which it caught the attention of a local news media page who offered to sponsor Brittney on their page. Since then, Brittney continues to read online voluntarily during the holidays when children are on break from school. She has instilled a love of reading in so many children including my own.

Montgomery will now be considered for the Wyoming Teacher of the Year.