When Emma E. Booker Elementary School teacher Ronnique Major was pulled into the hallway on November 10, 2023, she was shocked to see teachers, students, family and friends lining the walls as she was greeted with a flurry of confetti poppers and cheers . She was named Sarasota County Elementary School Teacher of the Year, making her a finalist for the district’s Teacher of the Year.
“It was the last thing on my mind,” Major said.
A month later, Major was still in shock when she was selected as the district-wide Teacher of the Year at the Ignite Education Teacher of the Year Award Celebration, hosted by the Education Foundation of Sarasota County in partnership with Sarasota County Schools.
“I take a deep breath because I feel like I’m going to hyperventilate. I told myself, ‘Just breathe.’ And when he said my name, I was like, ‘Oh my God, that’s me!’ I just hugged my mom and said, ‘We did it,’ because that was always her thing.”
Major’s mother taught sixth grade at Sarasota Middle School and before that, home economics. Her father was a school principal in South Florida. Education was an obvious career path for Major and she has been teaching for more than 30 years.
She wants her students to know, “If no one else believed in me, Mrs. Major did,” long after they left her classroom.
She had such a teacher herself – Mrs. Welch, fourth grade, who called her to congratulate her when she was named Teacher of the Year. Major says Mrs. Welch was the toughest teacher she ever had, but “she saw something in me that I didn’t see.”
Good teachers recognize the light in their students even though they may not see it themselves. Those teachers can be life-changing and even life-defining for a student. That is the magic Major brings to her classroom and one of the hallmarks of excellence seen in a Teacher of the Year.
Major quickly discovered that being Teacher of the Year does not end with that one evening of recognition. She attended conferences, including one at Notre Dame, which was a highlight for her. There was the national Teacher of the Year ceremony, invitations to be a guest speaker and many other occasions and events.
Being honored as a Sarasota Birdland Community Hero by the Orioles was especially personal for Major. Her uncle was the first African-American student to be called up to the major leagues out of high school in Sarasota.
Feeling that teachers are sometimes undervalued, she has been pleasantly surprised by the responses and reactions from the community, especially from strangers. “People [were] just say “Congratulations” and “Thank you for what you do.” I thought, wow, people really like teachers.”
These events over the past year have given Major new insights and perspectives and provided opportunities to network and meet new people. Some of these new connections have become colleagues, friends and mentors.
Major acknowledges that being Sarasota County Teacher of the Year was an honor that will continue to impact her life and has words of wisdom for the incoming nominees, finalists and the next educator to hold the title.
“Take advantage of the moment. Take it all in. Use this as a way to speak about our teachers, to speak about our children. Use your title as an advocate for those who have no voice or who feel like they have no voice. Be that voice for our children. Be that voice for our colleagues.”
About the Teacher of the Year program
The Education Foundation of Sarasota County, in partnership with Sarasota County Schools, recognizes educators through the Ignite Education Teacher of the Year Award Celebration, highlighting the many ways teachers inspire students and prepare them to succeed and live meaningful lives. Visit edfoundationsrq.org for more information.
Submitted by the Education Foundation of Sarasota County
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: 2024 Sarasota County Teacher of the Year sees the good in her students
