2011 - Regional Teacher of the Year - Tracey Schepman

Tracey teaches in Ellensburg where she began as a special education teacher and for the past six years has taught second grade. She is a lifelong learner whose enthusiasm for the craft of teaching has only increased over her 17 years in Ellensburg.



Described by her colleagues as the “go to” person for anything creative (from holiday programs to classroom management strategies), Tracey is also resourceful when it comes to finding funds for projects. She recently secured grants to fund technology improvements and training, professional development in writing and field trips. When the PTA found extra money in its budget, Tracey was quick to coordinate a project that would make a significant impact in the classrooms of Valley View – mounting projectors to the ceilings.



In addition to serving for seven years as an adjunct instructor for Central Washington University’s special education department, Tracey has also hosted practicum and student teachers in her classroom.



Tracey is passionate about collaboration. Every new professional development opportunity she acquires quickly becomes a resource for her entire school. She is also an active member of the Valley View PTA and sits on the Board of Directors for the Kittitas County Head Start.



In Tracey’s classroom fairness and attention to the individual needs of students combine to create independent learners. She masterfully provides each student with the exact resource or support he or she needs while unobtrusively redirecting the fidgeter in the last row or the daydreamer in the back corner. Because they feel valued as individuals, Tracey’s students have the confidence to explore creative solutions and think critically.



As one grateful parent observes: “Tracey has an amazing way of seeing each child as an individual with specific needs and strengths, and then addressing those with her creative teaching style. My children are quirky, and Tracey embraced those quirks instead of viewing them as hurdles.”