Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS) honored South River High English teacher Iris Crankfield as October’s Educator of the Month during its board meeting Wednesday morning.

Crankfield attended the meeting without knowing she would be receiving the honor on Wednesday. In fact, South River High principal Will Myers told her she would be giving a presentation to the board as a means to get here there.

However, she was pleasantly surprised when the board called her name and her family entered the meeting room to show their support.

Prior to receiving a certificate and a special commemorative classroom bell, Board member and Edgewater resident Kevin Jackson called Crankfield “a dynamic teacher that delivers material in the classroom that encourages divergent thinking.” As a sponsor of the school newspaper, Crankfield has also helped the Seahawks’ paper become one of the best in the county, Jackson added.

After receiving the award, Crankfield said she was nearly speechless.

“It means a lot. Teaching is very rewarding if you know you’re making an impact and sometimes you just don’t know. It’s really nice to see that I’m making a difference and to be rewarded,” she said. 

Crankfield, a graduate of Southern High, playfully said she grew up viewing South River as “the bad guys,” but after spending years there as an educator, she loves being a part of the Seahawk community. 

“[Teaching at South River] has been a wonderful experience. The parents have been very supportive and my colleagues, I could not ask for a better place to work. They are very supportive, very helpful and giving. It’s been great,” she said.

Do you know Iris Crankfield? Send her a congratulatory message in the comments!