Since 2014, the Michigan Lottery has been awarding the Excellence in Education honor to recognize the labor conducted by public school educators throughout the state.
The Michigan Lottery recently honored Charles Woodham, a first-grade educator from Oakland County. Woodham was the recipient of the Excellence in Education Award. Woodham earned the honor due to his dedicated encouragement of academic, social, and emotional growth in his students. Woodham’s school belongs to the Holly Area Schools.
The Excellence in Education Award
The Michigan Lottery launched the Excellence in Award program to recognize educators’ hard work and dedication across the state. Recipients get a plaque, a $1,500 prize, and a $500 grant to use in their classroom, school, or district. A $10,000 cash prize will be awarded as part of the Educator of the Year award.
The Excellence in Education Award Winners
On his motivation to become a full-time educator, Woodham explained that it goes back to when he was a fifth-grade student.
His teacher let the class choose their seats on the first day of school, which Woodham still recalls as “less than ideal.” He explained that seating arrangements were often changed, but not in his class. His teacher never switched things up, which led to greater cohesion and collaboration between Woodham and his peers, something that sticks with him today.
Woodham has been an educator for eleven years. He’s spent the last three at his current school and has been instrumental in helping improve the education system.
A colleague and parent of a former student of Woodham’s submitted his nomination for the Excellence in Education award. Words such as “unparalleled” management, outstanding and devoted describe him best. The individual asserted, “No student is too challenging for him; in fact, the students that are repeatedly struggling with behavior do a complete 180 in his classroom.”
In January, Alonna Liabenow, a librarian and reading specialist with Manton Elementary School, received the award. True to form, she used the $500 grant to buy more books for the library.
Mary Phillips, a Van Buren County educator, took the honor in December. She’s been a teacher for the past 13 years and has taken a leading position in developing eSports in the school and the entire school system.
