South Shore Elementary School third grade teacher Teresa Beilstein tonight was named the 2019-2020 Maryland Teacher of the Year by the Maryland State Department of Education. State Superintendent Dr. Karen Salmon made the surprise announcement in front of a packed crowd at MSDE’s annual awards banquet at Martin’s West in Baltimore.
Beilstein beat out six other finalists to become Anne Arundel County Public Schools’ second Maryland Teacher of the Year in three years. Josh Carroll of South River High School won the award in 2017-2018.
“This profession is truly an honor,” Beilstein said moments after the announcement was made. “It is the intersection of my passion and purpose. I am so lucky to have a career that fulfills me as a person. It’s more than I could ever ask for and I’m honored to represent my colleagues across the state.”
Beilstein is the fourth AACPS teacher to win the state award. In addition to Carroll, Linda Adamson of Mayo and Jessup elementary schools won in 1993-1994 and Patricia Neidhart of Broadneck High School won in 1988-1989.
A National Board Certified Teacher, Beilstein not only did her student teaching at South Shore, but also has spent her entire seven-year career there.
She is known as a teacher who quickly builds relationships with colleagues, students, and parents. She views it, in fact, as the most important ingredient to her healthy classroom.
“Thanks for teaching me everything I know, not just academically, but about myself,” a former student who is now thriving in middle school wrote in an endorsement letter that accompanied Beilstein’s nomination for Anne Arundel County Teacher of the Year.
Beilstein will now represent teachers across Maryland in the National Teacher of the Year competition.