Sharon Roy, a teacher at Kealing Middle School for 20 years, has taught magnet English, software design, Leadership 101 and pre-AP English. Roy earned her secondary teaching certificate in English and math at the University of Texas in Austin. She also holds a master’s degree in English from Yale University and a bachelor’s degree in English, minoring in math, from UT-Austin.

Roy has received grants for curricular programs that include creating an interdisciplinary unit and professional development on fairy tales; creating lessons and professional development integrating technology, art analysis in an English curriculum; and creating Kealing’s literary magazine InkBlot.

“I’m proud of creating an environment in which my students can safely struggle, take risks, fail, persevere and succeed,” she said. "My job is to motivate, challenge and support my students. I model collaboration by asking students for feedback on my writing and teaching. When we share our writing after the sacred silent writing that we begin class with or in open microphones with parents and administrators visiting our class, students give one another specific, positive feedback. I design lessons that challenge students to think about who they are and who they want to become.”

Roy has served on many school and district committees, has been a mentor to other teachers and has made presentations at the state and national level. In the 2005–06 school year, sje became a National Board Certified Teacher.

“I am proud of fostering a growth mindset in my students," Roy said. "I teach concepts from Dr. Carol Dweck’s Mindset: learning requires hard work, practice, asking for help and struggling. When students say they are not good at something, I make them add the word 'yet.'"