Sue Lehmann Award Semifinalist

An English as a Second Language (ESL) fourth-grade teacher at Shadow Oaks Elementary School was named a national semifinalist in the Sue Lehmann Excellence in Teaching Awards sponsored by Teach for America earlier this spring.

Second-year instructor Kristian Lenderman was one of only two teachers in the Houston region and 15 overall to be named national semifinalists in the teaching award program, which highlights innovative classrooms, as well as the academic and personal growth of students.

Teach for America (TFA) created the award to celebrate impactful teachers. Named for national board member Sue Lehmann, teacher award nominees are submitted by Teach for America team regional teams, and then evaluated by a national selection committee.

TFA considers the Sue Lehmann Award to be its most prestigious teaching and leadership award possible for second-year teachers. Lenderman was named to the semifinalist rankings in April.

Lenderman grew up in Richmond, Texas. A 2013 graduate of Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, she prepared for her first teaching position at Shadow Oaks through the five-week, TFA-affiliated Rice University Institute.

Earlier this month, she cried as her first class of ESL students graduated from the fifth grade. Being named a Sue Lehmann semifinalist has helped her appreciate a brief, but much acclaimed teaching career.

“This award showed me that the work that I am doing is important and valid. The work involved in teaching is important and it’s about more than one classroom. It makes reaching our goal of T-2-4 that much more relevant,” she said.

In addition to Lenderman, first-year teacher Ally Voss, who also works at Shadow Oaks Elementary, was in the running for Teaching Excellence’s Texas Teaching Intern award.

To learn more about Teach for America, please visit:
https://www.teachforamerica.org/