Sarah Stout named one of two ISD 192 Teachers of the Year!
Posted on 11/20/2023
Congratulations to our 2023-24 Teachers of the Year: Tory Techau & Sarah Stout!
Tory Techau, an art teacher at Boeckman Middle School, and Sarah Stout, an English teacher at Farmington High School, have been named the ISD 192 Teachers of the Year for the 2023-2024 school year. Teachers of the Year are nominated and selected by members of the Farmington Education Association. Congratulations to these dedicated, involved, and caring educators! Upon their nominations, they each shared a little about their respective careers in education.
Tory Techau, Boeckman Middle School
Tory Techau wanted to be a teacher from the time she was a young child. She attended St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN where she studied teaching and learned that she was especially interested in teaching art. As a student teacher she was drawn to the middle school experience. “I quickly realized that working with middle school learners was my jam. Their energy, creative thinking and their uniqueness intrigued me and motivated me to be the best teacher I could be for middle schoolers,” she shared.
Techau has taught art to middle schoolers in Farmington since 2006, the majority of that time at Boeckman Middle School where she is a favorite among the students. “I have dedicated my career to building relationships, helping middle schoolers grow to be the best versions of themselves, and making art accessible to all learners. I firmly believe that whether or not you like art, you can walk away from my classroom with the accomplishment of creatively persevering through problems and the appreciation of the creative process,” she shared.
In addition to classroom teaching, Techau actively pursues opportunities to collaborate with other staff members, leading professional development, volunteering for building committees, and mentoring new teachers among other things. In response to her nomination for Teacher of the Year she said, “I truly have found my calling as a middle school art teacher and my drive and passion for teaching continues to grow each year. Thank you to my colleagues for your continued support throughout my time in Farmington. I am honored to be nominated for teacher of the year in Farmington.”
Sarah Stout, Farmington High School
Sarah Stout has taught English at Farmington High School since 2011. Over the years she has served in many capacities beyond the classroom, including as a play director, speech team coach, and an active member of the Equity Leadership Team at FHS. In the classroom she strives “to provide a place where students can experience diverse perspectives, be challenged in their thinking, learn life-skills/soft-skills, and learn that literacy means a lot of things beyond reading.” Stout focuses on student engagement “through diverse literature that reflects our world, through competency-based learning.., [and] through constantly revamping and reconsidering what our students need and how to best equip them for the world beyond FHS.”
In response to her nomination for Teacher of the Year she shared: “Thank you so much to my Farmington High School colleagues for nominating me for Teacher of the Year. It is an honor and privilege to receive this nomination and I’m so grateful for the work that I’ve been able to do at FHS.”