National Award for Tulip Grove Teacher
Crofton Woman Followed Mother Into Education, Learned From Her Experience

By Rosalind S. Helderman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, December 4, 2008

As Shannon Landefeld sat down for Thanksgiving dinner with extended family last week, she was still reeling from news that made her thankful indeed this year.

Last month, the elementary school teacher received the Milken Educator Award, one of the nation's most prestigious education honors. It is made sweeter because its recipients are not told that they have been nominated until word arrives that they have won the award and its $25,000 prize.

Landefeld is one of two Maryland teachers and 80 educators nationwide selected this year for the Milken award, the somewhat mysterious prize presented annually to outstanding teachers by the Milken Family Foundation. The other Maryland recipient is Christian Slattery, a vocal music teacher at Hall's Cross Roads Elementary in Aberdeen.

There is much Landefeld still does not know about the award. She does not know who put her name forward for consideration. Nor does she know how, exactly, the foundation went about examining her credentials, nor what it was about her teaching style that convinced the national group she should win.

Landefeld, 31, who started teaching fourth grade this year after nine years in first-grade classrooms, insists that what she does every day in her classroom is no different from the work of many of her colleagues at Tulip Grove Elementary School in Bowie.

"It comes a lot from my connection with my kids," she said. "They know we have our serious times to work, but it should be enjoyable along the way."

Landefeld said she incorporates rigor into her lesson planning while keeping things fun for the students, trying to take advantage of their curiosity about the world around them.

Others in the Prince George's County school system have been quick to point out ways Landefeld excels. Her honor has been embraced by colleagues, in part because her career has been deeply rooted in the 130,000-student district.

Landefeld, a Maryland native who lives in Crofton, began her teaching career at Patuxent Elementary School in Upper Marlboro, following the example of her mother, Barbara Landefeld, who spent 24 years as a teacher in the system and the past 14 years as an administrator.

Shannon Landefeld said she decided at an early age to become a teacher after watching the joy her mother received from her students. She said she can remember visiting her mother's lively classroom as a child, on days when she was off from school for doctor's appointments.

"She had tons of animals in her classroom," Landefeld said. "It was like a science museum. She had plants growing and salamanders and a little pond with frogs in it. It really still is an inspiration."

One purpose of the Milken awards, given to teachers since 1985, is to inspire young people to enter the teaching profession. The cash prize comes with no strings attached, and the presentation of the award is made more exciting because school leaders plot for surprise.

On the day, Nov. 21, that Landefeld learned of her win, she was told only that State Superintendent of Schools Nancy S. Grasmick would be stopping at her classroom as part of a visit to Tulip Grove.

"Make sure your room's clean; company's coming," Landefeld said her principal told her.

Barbara Landefeld was told that an instructional supervisor with responsibility for Tulip Grove had a doctor's appointment and asked whether she could attend the Grasmick event in her place. Landefeld said she assumed the assembly would be fairly routine.

But when a vice president of the Milken Educator Awards took the microphone, Barbara said, she leaned over to her boss, sitting next to her, and whispered, "Oh my gosh, someone's getting the Milken!"

"Oh, I guess," the boss replied, intent on maintaining the ruse.

When Shannon's name was announced, her father, Steve -- who had been informed in advance and kept the secret for a week -- appeared from nowhere. "I was just shocked," Shannon said of the moment.

"I was beside myself, jumping up and down," her mother said.

Landefeld said she was particularly proud that her daughter was honored because she remembered that Shannon had struggled as a first-year teacher. Hers is a story of perseverance that probably impressed the foundation, which also studies ways to keep teachers in the profession.

In her first year, Shannon Landefeld had trouble managing her classroom and balancing lesson planning with learning the ropes of her school. She was often at school until 8 p.m. Barbara Landefeld said phone calls for advice became so lengthy that the two teachers were forced to set limits.

"We'll talk about this for a half-hour, and then we're done," they would agree, Barbara said.

But the next year, Shannon said, was a little easier. By her third year, she thought she'd gotten the hang of things. Now she helps write classroom curricula and runs training sessions for other teachers.

Landefeld will receive her $25,000 check at a ceremony for the national winners in Los Angeles in the spring.

She said she has not decided how to spend the money. In the meantime, she has been taking suggestions from students. Those in her homeroom class suggested, naturally, dividing up the funds among the students. Another child recommended taking students to Popeyes for lunch.

"I said, 'That's easy! I can do that now!' " Landefeld said, laughing.

One option she has been considering, she said, is spending some of the money on travel, including a possible trip to Greece over the summer as part of a program to teach English.

"Whatever I do," she said, "I'll save and invest."