Robert Asp Teacher of the Year wants her students to love learning
March 15, 2018
Casey Brand was a student who had to work hard to do well in school.
“I loved school and loved learning,” Brand said. “When I was very young I decided I wanted to be a teacher. Teaching always seemed to be the right fit for me. I believe that we all have a calling in life and teaching has been mine.”
Brand has been a first-grade teacher at Robert Asp Elementary School for 12 years and was named this year’s Robert Asp Teacher of the Year.
Chris Triggs, principal at Robert Asp Elementary, considers Brand one of Moorhead’s finest teachers.
“She does amazing work with some our most challenging students, and they thrive in her structured, nurturing environment,” Triggs said. “Casey builds that sense of community in her classroom, and a clear strength is her ability to relate to her students.”
Brand wants to have a positive impact on her students.
“I want my students to love learning as much as I do and enjoy the time they are with me,” she said.
Brand earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education with a minor in early childhood education from University of North Dakota. She was accepted into the Resident Teacher Master’s Program at UND, spent the 2005-06 school year teaching first grade at the Grand Forks Air Force Base, and received her master’s degree in education. Brand began teaching for Moorhead Area Public Schools the following year. She has served on the building leadership team, school climate committee, district math committee, and as a Benchmark Literacy pioneer. She has taught Excel and is a new teacher mentor.
Brand still remembers a former teacher who recognized her hard work in class.
“To this day I have not forgotten what that teacher told me and how it has impacted me as a learner and now as an educator,” she said. “I can only hope that I impact my students in the same way this teacher did for me.”
Brand welcomes her students as unique individuals no matter their struggles.
“I try to turn their struggles into success and focus on their strengths,” she said. “I believe my job is to help students be successful not only academically, but socially and emotionally too. This can all happen with strong relationships that I form with them.”
Triggs believes that Brand’s understanding of curriculum and her strength in building relationships allows all types of students to be successful.
“We appreciate her advocacy for students and unwillingness to give up on a student,” he said. “She is a humble person who attributes her success with students on supporting staff members. We know she will base her decisions on what is best for students, and she works hard every day to differentiate her instruction to meet individual needs.”
Brand feels teaching is a collaborative job.
“I enjoy working with my colleagues to develop effective learning for my students,” she said. “I often go to my colleagues to discuss ideas and to help problem solve different situations. I feel honored to be named Robert Asp Teacher of the Year. I wouldn’t be where I am today or do the job that I do every day without the support and help of my colleagues and administration.”
Photo: Casey Brand, first-grade teacher at Robert Asp Elementary School and this year’s Robert Asp Teacher of the Year, listens to a student read during a small group lesson.
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