Ms. Lachanda Garrison Selected as 2021 DoDEA Europe South District Teacher of the Year

Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) Europe South Superintendent, Dr. Michelle Howard-Brahaney announced the selection of Lachanda Garrison as the DoDEA Europe South District Teacher of the Year. Dr. Brahaney shared that, “Ms. Garrison is an excellent teacher, her commitment to student learning is second to none”. “We are so proud to have her as our Europe South Teacher of the Year representative.” Ms. Garrison teaches 2nd grade at Bahrain Elementary School in Manama, Bahrain. She has 13 years of experience teaching with DoDEA, including 1st and 3rd grades, multi-age grades, and as an instructional coach in elementary mathematics and literacy.

Ms. Garrison grew up attending DoDEA schools, graduating from Kubasaki High School in Okinawa, Japan. Through her experiences as both a DoDEA student and now teacher, she truly embodies DoDEA’s Mission to “educate, engage, and empower military-connected students to succeed in a dynamic world”.

Passionate about partnering with fellow educators and other community stakeholders, Ms. Garrison says her goal is to embolden her students along their academic journey. She is an active participant in a number of professional learning communities and other learning platforms within and outside of DoDEA. She enjoys facilitating and providing learning experiences at the school, district, and national levels.

Ms. Garrison loves to learn and share learning experiences with people from all backgrounds and demographics. She believes that having a learner’s mindset is necessary to grow as an educator; is essential to staying current with the most effective instructional and pedagogical practices; and is important in building confidence and self-efficacy among students and teachers alike.

Ms. Garrison has an Associate of Arts in Computer Studies, Bachelor of Science in Information Systems Management, Master of Education in Instructional Technology, and Master of Arts in Mathematics Teaching. Currently, she is enrolled in professional development courses to continue to empower herself along with the teachers and students she interacts with daily.

Ms. Garrison now moves on to the DoDEA Teacher of the Year program.