Meet 2022 Crystal Apple winner Becky Stoddard!

As part of Teacher Appreciation Week, NBC15 is excited to announce our Crystal Apple winners, including Ms. Becky Stoddard from Kennedy Elementary in Madison! The Crystal Apple award recognizes teachers who touch the lives of students in extra special ways. NBC15 received almost 650 nominations from 164 schools in southern Wisconsin.

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - Ms. Becky Stoddard received nominations for the Crystal Apple award from half the staff in her school.

Ms. Stoddard is retiring this year, and the staff wanted to honor her not only as a great teacher, but also as a great mentor.

She has taught almost every elementary grade in her 34 years of teaching.

After a year of virtual learning, in between each lesson Ms. Stoddard and her students take a dance break.

“You have to change. You have to be willing to learn just like kids because the way we do things is different from year to year and it’s different from class to class, and you have to be flexible and by able to try new things,” Ms. Stoddard said.

“Having a growth mindset, and I think she does that for her kids, but she also does that for so many of us when times have been hard in education. She’s just endlessly optimistic, always looking for a silver lining,” third grade teacher Ms. Caitlyn Foshay said.

It’s that dedication and positive attitude that make Ms. Stoddard a teacher’s teacher.

Some of the nominations NBC15 received from Ms. Stoddard’s colleagues included: “the type of teacher I aspire to be,” “cornerstone of the school,” “beloved and revered,” “an inspiration,” “goes above and beyond to inspire students and staff,” “educational powerhouse,” “dedicated her life to education,” “the definition of a teacher” and many more.

“I heard there was going to be a hole in the third grade team, and I said I want to get under Becky Stoddard’s wing as soon as possible, and there I will stay until she retires. So I got my spot and I’ve learned so much from her,” Ms. Foshay said.

“It’s the students that bring me back everyday. Since I was a little girl, I dreamed of being a teacher,” Ms. Stoddard said. “So lucky for me, for 34 years I have lived my dream, and it’s been very special.”

Ms. Stoddard has one final wish for her students: “I hope that they believe in themselves. They have the power to choose their destiny and to make good decisions,” she said.

Just to underscore her optimism, Ms. Stoddard named her third grade team the PAWS Team, meaning “Positive Attitudes Will Succeed,” because she really believes that’s how everyone should conduct themselves.

Kennedy Elementary really is home for Ms. Stoddard. She did her student teaching there in 1987 before returning a few years later, and the rest is history.

“You need to put kindness out into the world because it will come back to you,” Ms. Stoddard said.

NBC15 wishes Ms. Stoddard a wonderful retirement.

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