It is with great pleasure that to announce Kellee Lyons as the Walnut High School Teacher of the Year! Kellee Lyons is an amazing educator. She teaches a diverse level of students in College Prep English 3, Honors English 1, and senior AP English Literature. She radiates a passion and a zest for learning where she strives to make content relevant and impactful for our students. Kellee Lyons is always researching and employing instructional methods that will intrigue and inspire her students. She creates wonderful lessons that enable students to make connections between their own knowledge and experiences. Her student-centered lessons and approach have made the content more meaningful and memorable. She has established a learning environment that is safe and inclusive. She constantly reflects on her own practice and seeks PD opportunities to better relate and connect with her students.

Kellee Lyons is a beloved stakeholder. She productively supports and collaborates with her colleagues offering sound advice that will undoubtedly transform instruction and support. She consistently promotes equity and access and has revamped her own curriculum to include more culturally relevant articles and literature. She attended UCLA’s “With Different Eyes” conference and has implemented evidence-based strategies to better differentiate instruction and improve academic achievement for underrepresented and underperforming students. She is proactive in gathering data, work samples, and evidence of participation during instruction to share during meetings. Kellee takes the time to build a sense of community in her learning environment. She establishes norms and routines that are evident when visiting her classroom. Her students have displayed high levels of empathy and respect towards each other. They are consistently curious, engaged, and eager to learn new and different perspectives. They have displayed great social competence and self-awareness. Kellee acknowledges her students’ individuality and purposefully addresses their needs.

Kellee Lyons is also a lifelong learner. She proactively seeks out opportunities to enhance her instructional skills. She is currently renewing her National Boards while balancing distance learning and her family. She continues to participate in Mt. SAC’s High School Extension Program to help review their ELA syllabi and curriculum taught at the community college. She played an integral role in Walnut’s mid-cycle WASC accreditation this year. She also recently completed her three-day WASC visit at Hesperia High School. She attended seminars from UCLA and Cal Poly Pomona to improve academic achievement and student success. She continually seeks College Board workshops to improve her own instructional practices and content delivery. Kellee is an exceptional educator that impacts your life like no other!