Waterford school teacher earns Excellence In Education award
Rachel Engel is pictured with a copy of her $2,000 check.
An Oakland County educator known for investing in her students has been honored with an Excellence In Education award from the Michigan Lottery.
The award winner, Rachel Engel, is a first-grade teacher at Schoolcraft Elementary. The school is part of the Waterford School District.
The Michigan Lottery established the Excellence In Education awards in 2014 to recognize outstanding public-school educators across the state during the school year.
Winners of the weekly award receive a $2,000 cash prize. At the end of the school year, one of the weekly award winners will be selected to receive the Lottery’s Educator of the Year award and will receive a $10,000 cash prize.
Each winner also is featured in a news segment on the Lottery’s media partner stations: WXYZ-TV in Detroit, FOX 17 in Grand Rapids, FOX 47 in Lansing, WLUC in Marquette, WNEM-TV in Saginaw, and WWTV-TV in Traverse City. The news segment featuring Engel will air this evening.
Desire to have ‘positive impact’
Engel said her desire to have a positive impact on young learners inspired her to pursue a career in education.
“Growing up, I had many amazing teachers who believed in me and inspired my love of learning,” she said. “When I decided to work in the field of education, I wanted to have the same type of impact among young learners.
“My goal as a teacher is to create an empowering environment for students to harvest a love of learning and reach their full potential.”
Rave reviews
Engel was nominated for the award by the parent of former students.
“Mrs. Engel has had three of my four children in her classroom and has done a phenomenal job with all of them,” one nomination stated. “She provides an environment for her students that feels both physically and emotionally safe, allowing them to feel comfortable and be successful.
“She cares about her students and invests in them. She takes the time to get to know her students and meet them where they are at. She encourages them and gives them the space they need to learn and grow in every way, while still keeping them accountable at an appropriate level.”
Engel earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from Michigan State University. She has been an educator for 10 years, the last 9 in her current position.
