{"id":78426,"date":"2026-08-04T16:31:45","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T20:31:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.utc.edu\/news\/?p=78426"},"modified":"2026-08-04T16:31:47","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T20:31:47","slug":"utc-honors-41-teachers-at-2026-mentor-teacher-awards-banquet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.utc.edu\/news\/2026\/08\/utc-honors-41-teachers-at-2026-mentor-teacher-awards-banquet\/","title":{"rendered":"UTC honors 41 teachers at 2026 Mentor Teacher Awards Banquet"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Meghan

Clifton Hills Elementary teacher and UTC alum Meghan McDougall was recognized as a Model Mentor Teacher at the 2026 Mentor Teacher Awards Banquet. Photo courtesy of Chris Brown.<\/p><\/div>\n

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga School of Education honored 41 pre-K-12 teachers during its third annual Mentor Teacher Awards Banquet on Thursday, July 30, recognizing the educators who guide UTC teacher candidates through classroom residencies.<\/p>\n

More than 100 mentor teachers, school principals, district administrators, UTC alums, University administrators, faculty and staff attended the banquet, hosted by Chattanooga Coca-Cola Bottling Co. and Darren Hodges, vice president of the company\u2019s Tennessee Valley Division.<\/p>\n

The School of Education recognized 33 Model Mentors and eight Master Mentors. Mentor teachers open their classrooms to UTC teacher candidates during residencies that can last from 75 to 110 days, providing day-to-day guidance as future educators learn the profession.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome of the most important work is also the least visible,\u201d said Chris Brown, UTC School of Education field placement coordinator, in his keynote address. \u201cIt\u2019s not always the loud moments or the headline achievements. It\u2019s the daily decisions, the extra conversations, the quiet adjustments, done over and over again, that change lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Model Mentor Award recognizes first-time recipients rated \u201chighly effective\u201d by both a University supervisor and a teacher candidate. Recipients receive a classroom door badge and an increased stipend if they host a UTC teacher candidate again.<\/p>\n

The Master Mentor Award is reserved for educators who have received Model Mentor recognition at least twice. They receive a UTC-branded backpack, a door badge and an increased stipend for future mentorships.<\/p>\n

Award selections are based on evaluations from University supervisors and teacher candidates, along with statements explaining why each mentor deserves recognition.<\/p>\n

Brown told the honorees that their work reaches beyond the students currently in their classrooms.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not only teaching students,\u201d he said. \u201cYou\u2019re shaping future educators in real time. You open your classrooms, your thinking and your practice to someone learning how to do this critical work.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour impact doesn\u2019t stay in your classroom; it multiplies across every classroom your teacher candidates will one day lead.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A

UTC School of Education Field Placement Coordinator Chris Brown, center, with former student teachers.<\/p><\/div>\n

The annual banquet allows the School of Education to recognize classroom teachers who take on the added responsibility of mentoring teacher candidates, Brown said. Those mentors work most closely with teacher candidates during their final undergraduate year or student-teaching semester in graduate school.<\/p>\n

\u201cEffective mentoring is one of the most powerful investments we can make in education,\u201d said Dr. MaryBeth Sanders, Hamilton County Schools Grow Your Own Program facilitator. \u201cThese mentors serve as guides, coaches and role models, helping new teachers build confidence, refine their instructional practices and navigate the challenges of the profession.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sanders said the evening also brought together UTC School of Education faculty, school leaders and mentors, reinforcing their shared work to support early-career educators. Those relationships strengthen the teacher pipeline and create opportunities for continued collaboration.<\/p>\n

For Meghan McDougall, a Model Mentor recipient and UTC alum, working with her student teacher, Brooke Jones, was \u201cone of the highlights of my career.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWorking alongside her for a year gave helpful insight in the growth that college seniors and future educators make in such a small time,\u201d said McDougall, who graduated from UTC in 2015. \u201cI feel confident that she\u2019ll thrive in her position at New Hope Elementary.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brown said the banquet also recognized the principals and school leaders who make room for teacher candidates and support the mentor teachers working alongside them. He thanked Chattanooga Coca-Cola Bottling Co. for hosting the event, along with Hamilton County Schools, School of Education faculty and staff, and the many partner schools involved in preparing future teachers.<\/p>\n

The School of Education\u2019s 2025-26 award recipients included the following:<\/p>\n

Master Mentor Award<\/h4>\n