CHARLESTON, W.Va. – West Virginia Board of Education President Miller Hall, Member Debra Sullivan and State Superintendent W. Clayton Burch revently welcomed the 2021 West Virginia Teacher of the Year Erin Anderson to the State Capitol Complex to receive awards of more than $13,000 and the use of a new Toyota RAV-4 SUV. The presentation was held Monday, January 25, 2021, in the Capitol Room on the state Capitol grounds.

Sponsors in attendance included Toyota Motor Manufacturing of West Virginia, Inc., Highmark West Virginia, Horace Mann Insurance, the West Virginia Lottery and the West Virginia Professional Educators’ Association.

Anderson is a fifth-grade teacher at Tennerton Elementary School in Upshur County and a 20-year veteran of the profession. She earned her B.A. in Elementary Education from West Virginia Wesleyan College and an M.A. in Reading from West Virginia University.

“As a teacher, I have never witnessed a time in which our profession has been so important,” Anderson said. “Our children need us, and, as teachers, we need them as well. It has been challenging, but I look forward to continuing the journey with my students and helping them prepare for middle school and beyond while also promoting the teaching profession and the important role we play today and every day.”

“Mrs. Anderson has had to adapt to a very different way of teaching and meeting the needs of her students, however, she has not lost her zeal and love for teaching,” said President Hall. “She continues to deliver instruction the best way possible and remains committed to going the extra mile for her children.”

“Mrs. Anderson understands the impact she has on teaching, learning and her children’s overall development, and she doesn’t take this lightly,” said Superintendent Burch. “She has been eager for her children to return to in-person learning, and now she is doing all she can to overcome learning gaps and prepare them for the next school year. In all of this, she is undeterred in her drive and commitment to her students.”

Anderson will represent West Virginia on several national platforms, many of which will be held virtually this year. Within  the state, she plans to continue mentoring new teachers while actively promoting the teaching profession.