Lower Elementary: | Michelle Smith | ![]()
| Michelle Smith has been an educator for 17 years spending all of those years at Glenpool teaching kindergarten. In addition to her classroom responsibilities, Mrs. Smith is also involved in after school tutoring and teaches summer school. Mrs. Smith is the epitome of a lifelong learner and attends as many professional development opportunities as possible to ensure that her students receive the best research based instruction. She has a micro-credential in LETRS training and has been to many other professional developments including Literacy First, Orton-Gillingham, and AIMS Pathways. Mrs. Smith even was able to attend the National Summer Learning Association Conference in Washington D.C. last fall. She completed her National Board Teacher’s Certification this December. Mrs. Smith has also received a wide variety of grants for her classroom to ensure she can meet the needs of all of her students. Mrs. Smith’s colleagues chose her as their site teacher of the year because “she is always striving to be a better teacher and models highly effective teaching strategies.” She has been married to her husband Ted for 22 years. She loves spending time with her family which includes her step daughter Kaylin and two sons Rhythm and Jazz. Both of her boys went to Glenpool from Pre-K until graduation. | | | | Upper Elementary: | Sarah Bailey | ![]()
| Sarah Bailey has been teaching for 11 years, spending the last 4 years teaching 3rd grade at Glenpool Upper Elementary. In addition to her classroom duties, Sarah is the 3rd grade Team Leader. She also serves on several committees including The District Guiding Coalition, Elementary Site PLC Committee, Professional Development Committee, and Retention Committee. Ms. Bailey is also a mentor teacher. Sarah has received several awards for her teaching including McKinley Teacher of the Year in Tulsa and Glenpool District Certified Educator of the Month. She has also received several Donorchoose grants for her classroom. Ms. Bailey’s colleagues chose her as their site teacher of the year because “she is always supporting her teammates with a smile or kind words. She works tirelessly to ensure that everyone around her succeeds.” In her spare time, Sarah loves to spend time with her boyfriend of over ten years Stacy. She loves everything to do with holidays and holiday light shows. She has a large supportive extended family that has encouraged her throughout her career. | | | Intermediate: | Chase Eastman | ![]()
| Chase Eastman has been an educator for 7 years, spending the last 5 years in Glenpool. He also served as an Autism Paraprofessional for Tulsa Public Schools before starting his certified career. He currently teaches 6th grade Geography. In addition to his classroom responsibilities, Mr. Eastman coaches the Glenpool Junior Varsity Volleyball team. His Glenpool Intermediate School’s staff and administration recognized Mr. Eastman as their site teacher of the year “due to his remarkable knack for establishing strong relationships with his students and maintaining a consistent drive towards academic brilliance.” Mr. Eastman is an East Central University graduate. He has been married to his wife Krista for two years who is also an educator at the Intermediate site. They have one son named Sutton. In his spare time, Mr. Easton loves camping, sports, and watching old movies with his family. |
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| | | Middle School: | Tanya Blades | ![]()
| Tanya Blades has been a teacher and coach for 26 years, spending the last 17 years at Glenpool Middle School. She currently teaches Health and Nutrition and Wellness and Relaxation of the Mind. In addition to her classroom duties, Mrs. Blades coaches Junior High and Varsity track. She also drives a bus route for the district in the afternoons and serves as an administrator on duty for Middle School and High School athletic events. She has received several TSET grants to help improve the physical and mental health of our Glenpool students. Mrs. Blades is an NSU graduate with her master’s degree in Elementary Education. Tanya’s colleagues recognized her as their site teacher of the year because “she puts her heart and soul into her students both in the classroom and on the playing field.” Mrs. Blades has been married for 26 years to her husband Marvin and has three children Makai, Jordan, and Jada that have all attended or are attending Glenpool Public Schools. In her spare time, Mrs. Blades enjoys spending time with her family and attending her children’s academic and sporting events. | | | | High School: | Tommy Taylor | ![]()
| Tommy Thomas has been an educator for 8 years teaching English at Glenpool High School. In addition to his classroom responsibilities, he serves on the District Professional Development Committee. He has been the Secondary Educator of the Month twice for Glenpool. Mr. Thomas was chosen by his colleagues as the High School teacher of the year because “he goes above and beyond to connect with our students. He makes learning fun and isn’t afraid to try new things. He works well with his colleagues in the English department and we all enjoy working with him.” Tommy is an NSU graduate and majored in English. In his spare time, Tommy enjoys spending time with his two amazing children. |
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