LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

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Annie Baird

Position: First Grade Teacher
School: Lake Forest Country Day School
School District: Private
City, State: Lake Forest, IL

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Annie Baird was nominated by a colleague, Panagiotis Koutsouris. 

Ms. Baird is an empathetic, collaborative, and inspiring first-grade teacher who works with deep intention to ensure every student feels safe, supported, and encouraged to grow. She is especially thoughtful in supporting students who require additional academic, social, or emotional support, adapting her strategies so each child can succeed while still feeling confident and valued. Ms. Baird uses singing during transitions to help students regulate and stay engaged, turning everyday moments into opportunities for calm and connection. She places great importance on morning circle time, creating a welcoming space where students feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and emotions and listening to one another. Ms. Baird's commitment to building community helps students understand that their voices matter and that school is a place where they belong.

"As a colleague, Annie has also had a meaningful impact on me through her openness to collaboration and reflection. Through our cross-disciplinary work in science, including projects in archaeology and astronomy, she has consistently shown a genuine interest in connecting learning across subjects and sharing ideas to best support students. Her willingness to collaborate models for students how adults work together and how learning is interconnected, while pushing me to reflect on and improve my own teaching practice. Annie's dedication to her students, her colleagues, and her own growth as an educator truly embodies the values of a LifeChanger, and she is deeply deserving of this recognition," said Koutsouris.

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Comments (3)

Grade 1 Student comments (Mrs. Baird's Class) Posted 2 months ago

Mrs. Baird is kind. She cares about you. She is very patient. She loves coffee. She makes learning fun. She is fair. She wants to learn also. She loves us. She is the best teacher. She is funny and caring. She wants us to learn. She always smiles.

Anonymous Student in Grade 1 Posted 2 months ago

Mrs. Baird is always kind. She is very calm with all of us. She makes learning very fun. Mrs. Baird helps us all when we need it. We learn a lot in her class.

Panagiotis Koutsouris Posted 2 months ago

Yesterday, Annie's class was in high energy mode and student emotions varied. She took her Grade 1 students on a short walk around the school while singing to them. Afterward, she created different learning stations that allowed students to enjoy hands-on exploration, quiet writing and reading, and also collaboration. Her class dynamic reached an amazing calm level. I visited the room to sit with the rock and mineral station, and I witnessed such great discussions and sharing amongst the children. Annie took extra time to plan, setup, and meet her students where they were!