LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Karen Warren was nominated by her colleague, Taylor Sarratt.

Like many teachers, Ms. Warren's desire to become a teacher was influenced by her own teachers in school. She recalls her elementary school years and the various ways in which teachers would motivate her to read and learn. It was her 8th grade Exploratory Class, however, that confirmed her desire to choose teaching as a career. During that year, Ms. Warren was paired with a third grade teacher whom she shadowed and observed as part of her class assignment. After a week of observing reading groups, she was given the opportunity to teach her most challenged group of readers. It was while working with the group that Ms. Warren realized everyone had the ability to learn, but the process may be different. The learning obstacles each child faced tugged at her heart, and it was her exposure to teaching that year that fostered her desire to enter the field of Special Education. 

Ms. Warren fondly remembers all the teachers that influenced her path were ones that made their students feel accepted. They exposed them to the joys of learning and provided experiences that enriched their lives. These role models also involved themselves with the families of their students- something Ms. Warren does on a daily basis. She considers her student's parents to be the most important people on their child's academic team. She does not take lightly the trust that parents put in her to keep their child safe and to develop an educational plan as unique as their child. Ms. Warren believes her greatest contribution as a teacher is to treat each student as if they are her own and invite their parents to join in their educational journey. 

Her success is evident in the leadership roles and awards she has been bestowed with during her teaching career. She was selected as the CES Teacher of the year for 2012-2013 and 2017-2018 and has also received the CES Oustanding Faculty Member Award. She is the In-School Coordinator for Pre-School/Pre-K and the Special Education Team Leader. Ms. Warren has also served as a mentor for new teachers for 8 years. 

When she first began teaching, she focused her efforts on academic goals for her students. When those goals were not met, she excused the lack of progress to the student's home environment. She realized she must not allow that excuse to determine her student's success, so she began a style of teaching centered around developing relationships. She began investing in her student's families, valuing parents as a partner to develop a relationship of trust. This opened up new avenues to teach and create change for her students. It provided guidance for young families to change some of their own circumstances in order to affect the quality of life they provide for their children.

"Whether she spends an afternoon working with a parent on a child's toilet training or running by a parent's work on their break to hold an impromptu conference, she has witnessed parents becoming empowered to continue their own education which has led to opportunities they never imagined for themselves," Sarratt said. "Karen states that a child's home environment is one variable that has been taught is out of our control. However, she portrays the words of Mahatma Ghandi 'Be the change you wish to see,' on a daily basis. Because of this, she not only changes the lives of her students, but is a positive force in her school and the broader teaching community."