Congratulations to Long Elementary School third grade teacher Tim Waters, who has been named the Lindbergh Schools 2024 Teacher of the Year! District and school administrators surprised Waters with the exciting news, during an all-school assembly on Thursday, April 4.

“Mr. Waters embodies the essence of an exemplary educator,” said Dr. Christina Phillips, Long Elementary School principal. “He is tirelessly dedicated to nurturing student success with unwavering commitment.”

Mr. Waters has been a teacher at Long since 2016, and has 14 years of elementary school teaching experience in all. He strives to create an engaging and supportive learning environment where students feel empowered to thrive and are able to think critically. He also looks for opportunities to foster a positive, inclusive learning environment while inspiring kindness and critical thinking. This year, Waters created a Third Grade Cereal Box Challenge to kick off a math unit on graphing, providing students with an opportunity to serve the community by collecting food items as well.

“I believe in the transformative power of education, and this is deeply ingrained in my approach to teaching,” Waters said. “Teaching is about more than disseminating information. It is about igniting curiosity and fostering growth.”

As a leader in his profession, Waters serves on Long’s Building Leadership Team, is co-adviser of the Long Service Club, and sponsors a Traveling Cafe to support collaboration and positive morale among his fellow teachers and staff. On a district level, he has served as a member of the Report Card Task Force and Lindbergh Learning Team, is a Teacher’s Academy Fellow, and piloted the Benchmark Advance and Benchmark Workshop literacy program.

Colleagues share that Waters is a positive role model who holds his students to the highest standards of success and creates an inviting, engaging and challenging learning environment for them each day. He also supports students outside of the classroom, attending athletic and performance events on a regular basis. His fellow teachers also respect his commitment to lifelong learning, vast knowledge of curriculum, and prioritization of social emotional learning.

Waters earned a Masters of Science in Special Education, and a Bachelor of Arts in Childhood Education (Grades 1-6) and Social Studies/Geography, from Hunter College in New York, NY. As Lindbergh’s Teacher of the Year, he will now be in the running for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Regional Teacher of the Year award.