Ashtyn Berry named Cabarrus County Schools Teacher of the Year

CABARRUS COUNTY, N.C. (WBTV) - Ashtyn Berry, a third grade teacher at W.R. Odell Elementary School, has been named the Cabarrus County Schools Teacher of the Year.

Interim Superintendent Brian Schultz, along with Odell Elementary Principal Dr. Sandy Ward, Interim Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Dr. Kecia Coln and Assistant Superintendent Of Facilities and Auxiliary Services John Legrand, surprised Ms. Berry in her classroom with the announcement on Tuesday morning.

According to Cabarrus County Schools, Berry joined Cabarrus County Schools and the W.R. Odell Elementary School Family in 2017; she began her teaching career in 2013 outside of the district.

She earned a bachelor of arts degree in elementary education from Appalachian State University (ASU) and currently is pursuing a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from ASU. In 2020, Berry was a recipient of the W.F. & Mozelle Costner Parker Endowed Scholarship awarded by the Reich College of Education at Appalachian State University.

Among Berry’s other honors are membership in the National Society for Collegiate Scholars, the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi and the Kappa Delta Pi International Honors Society.

As a strong teacher leader, Berry has served in a variety of leadership roles. These include the following: Remote Learning Content Creator, Curriculum Writer, Mentor Teacher, Service-Learning Professional Development Facilitator, Grade Level Reading Intervention Specialist, School Improvement Leadership Team Member, Remote Learning Committee Chair, MTSS Team Member and Core Phonics Training Facilitator for Beginning Teachers.

According to W.R. Odell Elementary School Principal Dr. Sandy Ward, “Ms. Berry is a dedicated educator. She works to meet the individual needs of all of her students. Ms. Berry is a wonderful teammate and colleague. She consistently shares quality resources and strategies that all educators could use. She believes that every student’s culture should be embraced and celebrated! This year, Ms. Berry virtually welcomed all of her students’ families into her virtual classroom to share their customs and traditions. Ms. Berry also works to nurture the social and emotional needs of her students. Her calming presence allows students to feel valued and at ease in her classroom, which encourages students to do their best work. We are truly blessed to have Ms. Berry as part of the Odell Community!”