Shara Ruppert from Vantage Point High School Is Named “Student of the Month” in Her Happy Teacher Classes

Who says teachers can’t be named Student of the Month? When they enroll in professional development classes at Happy Teacher, their contributions are recognized!

LAKEWOOD, Colorado, June 14th - The best teachers celebrate their students’ successes. While recognizing classroom achievements is a big part of doing so, highlighting individuals is also important. No matter how old their pupils are, naming a “Student of the Month” is one of the most effective ways for teachers to acknowledge consistent excellence.

At Happy Teacher, they believe their students—who are educators themselves—also deserve recognition. They started a “Student of the Month” program for all their teacher classes. For June, Happy Teacher will be honoring Shara Ruppert.

Nominated by Juliette Britton, her adjunct professor in Wellness Champion, Shara teaches at Vantage Point High School. A dedicated and compassionate professional, Shara impressed Juliette from day one.

Before putting together her Wellness Champion project, Shara took the time to understand her colleagues’ needs so she could better meet them in her proposed plan. Her passion for health and wellness is contagious, and her school is lucky to have such a thoughtful leader.

Shara did an exemplary job with her assignments. Over the course of the semester, she made sure to:

• Discuss her school’s wellness needs with the counselors
• Research products to include in wellness kits for the faculty and staff
• Create a questionnaire to gauge her colleagues’ interest in prioritizing wellness at work
• Develop a calendar of events that included activities everyone expressed interest in when filling out the questionnaire
• Meet with the district’s wellness coordinator to discuss ideas
• Host an art project day for her colleagues during which they painted rocks for a “kindness rock garden
• Host a yoga class for her colleagues
• Host a staff smoothie day
• Host a sidewalk chalk art event for students and staff with a kindness theme
• Host a staff game day
• Survey teachers in the middle school and high school to get feedback on her wellness initiatives

The teachers who enroll in professional development classes already go above and beyond, and Shara was no exception. She was determined to become a Wellness Champion, and when Juliette reviewed Shara’s log at the end of the semester, it was clear that she had

Wellness Champion is just one of the many re-certification classes that Happy Teacher offers educators. This three-credit, graduate-level course aims to help teachers become wellness ambassadors within their districts. The team at Happy Teacher is proud to recognize teachers, like Shara, through their “Student of the Month” program.