College of Arts & Letters alumna Dawn Reed is the 2018 recipient of the Ray H. Lawson Award presented by the Michigan Council of Teachers of English (MCTE). Each year, this award honors one outstanding MCTE educator who has demonstrated leadership to the profession and is held in high esteem by colleagues and students.
Reed is a teacher at Okemos High School in Okemos, Michigan. This is her 14th year of teaching. She also facilitates professional development for teachers focused on technology integration, inquiry, and the teaching of writing. And, she is the co-director of the Red Cedar Writing Project at Michigan State University, which is a site of the National Writing Project, a professional development network that serves teachers of writing at all grade levels and in all subjects.
“I teach because I believe in the power of literacy, I believe in teachers, and I most certainly believe in the power of our youth to continually strive to make our world a better place,” Reed said. “I want to thank my mentors, colleagues, and students, and all who inspire others to reach their full potential.”
I teach because I believe in the power of literacy, I believe in teachers, and I most certainly believe in the power of our youth to continually strive to make our world a better place.
Reed has a master’s degree in Writing and Rhetoric with a specialization in Critical Studies in Literacy and Pedagogy from Michigan State University.
She has published several books, journals, and websites. She is the co-author of Research Writing Rewired: Lessons that Ground Students’ Digital Learning, as well as Real Writing: Modernizing the Old School Essay.
The MCTE is the state affiliate of the National Council of Teachers of English, an organization for K-16 English language arts teachers.
Recipients of the Ray H. Lawson Award demonstrate excellence in the teaching of English or Language Arts K-12, have a record of distinguished leadership at the local and the state level, and have earned high admiration from colleagues and students. Honorees of this award hold unique and effective perspectives on teaching English/Language Arts and provide service to the profession at the local, state, or national level through leadership, presentations, or publications.
Reed was presented with the award at the MCTE Fall Conference on October 19 at MSU’s Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center.
