Elizabeth Brand Teacher Excellence Award

Donna Ward (left) of Spring Forest Middle School stands with Jeanine
Piskurich (right), a member of the Houston Association of Professional Landmen.

A seventh-grade math teacher at Spring Forest Middle School has earned a coveted Elizabeth Brand Teacher Excellence Award from the Houston Association of Professional Landmen.

Donna Ward of Spring Forest Middle was recognized for work and dedication to the education profession during a May 21 Petroleum Club luncheon. In honor of her work, she was given a check for $3,200 and a gift basket valued at $2,400. It included gift cards, and a weekend trip and spa package.

The special award was created in memory of Elizabeth Brand, who taught school in SBISD for many years. Spring Forest’s Ward was one of five teachers from Houston-area districts recognized by the Houston Association of Professional Landmen earlier this year.

Read more in the Houston Association of Professional Landmen June newsletter >>

A 1991 graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, Ward majored in business administration and then worked for 13 years in the business field before earning alternative certification and joining the middle school as a sixth-grade teacher.

“At the encouragement of my principal, Dr. Kaye Williams, I began in 2012 to use technology to ‘flip the classroom.’ I would assign videos and introductory lessons for homework, and then spend classroom time with more rigorous and engaging learning experiences for my students,” she said in her nomination.

She currently teaches seventh-grade Pre-Advanced Placement, Academic, and Co-Teach classes.

In her nomination, a Professional Landmen member said this about Donna:

It is my honor to nominate Mrs. Donna Ward, a 7th grade math teacher at Spring Forest Middle School. Mrs. Ward teaches academic and pre-advanced placement math.

According to her principal Dr. Kaye Williams, “One of my goals when I got to SFMS four years ago, was to integrate technology into the classroom to enhance student learning and engagement. Mrs. Ward stepped out of her comfort zone and immersed herself into many hours of professional development that focused on the “blending learning” classroom.

She is a leader on my campus when it comes to integrating technology into the student learning environment. Mrs. Ward produces her own tutorial videos for students, and she tapers them to the academic needs of all of her students. She has over 37,000 views on the web!!!

Mrs. Ward is always available before and after school for her students to come for tutorials. She also hosts professional developments for teachers at Spring Forest Middle School as well as in Spring Branch ISD. Mrs. Donna Ward is an extremely hard worker who works countless hours each day to ensure student success!