Cross County School District is proud to announce Toni Wake, fourth grade teacher at Cross County Elementary School, as the district’s Teacher of the Year. This honor recognizes her exceptional dedication to students, commitment to character education, and passion for teaching the whole child.
Wake did not originally set out to become a teacher. While in college, she planned to pursue an accounting degree before taking a job at a daycare for convenience. That experience changed the course of her life.
“God put me at that daycare to show me that I was meant to work with kids,” Wake said. “It completely changed my direction.”
That calling is evident in her classroom today. Known for her strong relationships with students and a culture built on trust and high expectations, Wake centers her teaching on Cross County’s Creatures of Character framework.
“My students know without a doubt that I love them and that I believe in them,” she said. “Relationships are what truly make the difference.”
Character education is not an add on in Wake’s classroom. It is foundational. Students regularly reflect on core values, set personal goals tied to character traits, and learn that mistakes are a natural part of learning. Wake reinforces this mindset with the classroom acronym M A T H, reminding students that mistakes allow thinking to happen.
Academically, Wake uses data and student feedback to guide instruction and adjust lessons in real time.
“Feedback and data are the steering wheel of my classroom,” she explained. “If students are telling me they do not understand something, then we slow down and approach it in different ways until they do.”
Wake also integrates technology intentionally to support learning, using tools such as Reflex, Frax, IXL, and Gizmos to build fluency, strengthen problem solving skills, and reinforce understanding in math and science.
A lifelong learner herself, Wake actively seeks professional growth opportunities and credits Cross County’s collaborative culture for helping her grow as an educator.
“I was a good teacher before I came here,” she said. “But Cross County made me a great teacher. If I had not come here, I never would have been Teacher of the Year.”
Wake began her teaching career in 2009, teaching at Forest City and Harrisburg before joining Cross County, where she is currently in her fifth year.
Being named Teacher of the Year is a deeply meaningful honor.
“This is something I never imagined I would experience,” Wake said. “It is incredibly humbling. It affirms that the relationships and effort I invest in my students matter. I feel seen.”
She believes her work closely reflects the district’s mission to educate the whole child by preparing students to be lifelong learners and responsible citizens.
“If you do not have character education, you are not teaching the whole child,” Wake said. “It has to be both.”
Wake will be recognized at a Teacher of the Year ceremony on January 30. Cross County School District congratulates Toni Wake on this well deserved honor and thanks her for the lasting impact she continues to make on students, families, and the school community.