Heritage High School Teacher Receives Outstanding Teacher Award

Andrea Schlegel, a social science teacher at , has been named the 2012 recipient of The Washington Post’s Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher Award. She found out on March 26 after being nominated by a former student’s parent.

“It was overwhelming and it was very humbling in some ways,” Schlegel said. “When you’re a teacher people come in and out all the time and you don’t know what kind of impact that you have on them. So it was really a nice honor.”

Schlegel has been a teacher for 20 years, five of which have been spent at Heritage High School. During that time she has interacted with a number of different people who submitted letters of support for Schlegel’s nomination.

The annual Washington Post award recognizes teachers who exemplify excellence in their profession. Nominees must be full-time teachers with a minimum of five years teaching experience, with three in their current school system. This year’s recipients represented 20 school systems in the metropolitan area.

“It’s a very nice recognition. It’s something that I very much appreciate and I will always love,” Schlegel said. “But I’m just doing my job and that’s what everybody is doing. Everyone should be able to have this opportunity.”

Schlegel said being a teacher is already a rewarding career. She enjoys the fact that she can help her students obtain their goals while helping them to prepare for college.

“I think it’s interesting that someone would actually take the time to nominate me,” Schlegel said. “That’s what’s really nice about it. That’s really the gift in it.”

On Tuesday, the Loudoun County School Board recognized Schlegel and her recent nomination. She will be honored during an awards dinner, at the Washington Post Headquarters, on May 15.