Zoom in to examine the map and click on the pins to view details about the individual Wisconsin Teachers of the Year.
View full Teacher of the Year Google map
Meet the 2022-23 Teachers of the Year
Wisconsin’s five Teachers of the Year for the 2022-23 school year are
Kaelee Heideman, Carl Traeger Elementary School, Oshkosh Area School District: As the school counselor at Carl Traeger, Heideman supports students, teachers, and community members through various methods, meeting students where they are socially, emotionally, and academically and helping facilitate success. Heideman is a leader at the school and within the district, co-facilitating the social emotional learning team and providing professional development around equity, trauma-informed care, and positive behavioral interventions and support. When the COVID-19 pandemic started, Heideman continued supporting students and families through check-ins and individual counseling lessons and wrote each child at the school a personalized letter.
Sarah Kopplin, Shorewood Intermediate School, Shorewood School District: Kopplin, a geography teacher, has a passion for social studies education and finds innovative, resourceful ways to provide opportunities for all students. In addition to serving on the school’s instructional leadership, Kopplin also serves on many district-level planning workgroups and has a sincere commitment to improving outcomes for students. Through her ability of creating authentic learning opportunities, students in her class leverage their leadership, voice, and choice to guide their individual learning experiences.
Lori Danz, Superior High School, School District of Superior: Danz is a coordinator of the school forest and is praised by her peers for not only inspiring a love of learning among students and motivating those around her, but also for always having a positive attitude about student leaning in the Superior community. Danz is credited for taking the initiative to make improvements to the school forest so it can be a place for students and teachers to enjoy outdoor education. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Danz worked to set up a camera system for classrooms across the district to observe the forest and created video lessons for classes.
Peg Billing, Lakeland Union High School, Lakeland Union High School District: Billing has been an educator for nearly 20 years and has spent many of those years building relationships, collaborating with colleagues, and incorporating relevant and cultural activities into a variety of classes. Lakeland Union Principal Chad Gaurke describes Billing as an “outside the box thinker” who successfully utilizes STEAM activities to enhance her classes. Billing is credited with helping design and launch a statewide low-cost collection of audio, eBooks, and digital magazines through the Wisconsin Schools Digital Library Consortium, which she has served on since the group’s inception in 2018.
Dustin Anderson, Grant and Grove Elementary Schools, Wisconsin Rapids Public Schools: Anderson has a passion for art and uses it to help students and the community learn and grow. Grant Elementary Principal Nicole Calteux credited Anderson for being a leader in the district, working tirelessly to provide the best education for every student. In 2020, Anderson was selected as Wisconsin Elementary Art Educator of the Year by the Wisconsin Art Education Association and represented fellow educators on the organization’s board. In the role, he coordinated and assisted with professional development opportunities for teachers across the state and provided valuable insight and suggestions.