Photo: Hannah Stark, Murray Middle School fourth grade teacher, and Dr. David Whaley, Dean College of Education and Human Services, at 39th Harry M. Sparks Distinguished Lecture Series (photo credit Jeremy McKeel, Murray State University)
Murray, Ky., May 1, 2024----Hannah Stark, Murray Middle School fourth grade teacher, was honored as the Murray State University Outstanding Elementary School Educator Award at Murray State University’s 39th Harry M. Sparks Distinguished Lecture Series.
Stark graduated from MSU in 2001 with a degree in Elementary Education, later earning graduate certificates in Reading and Writing Instruction, Gifted and Talented, and Library/Media Technology. Stark joined the MISD in 2002 as a first grade Murray Elementary School teacher. During her twenty-two-year MISD tenure, Stark has also taught Kindergarten, second grade, and reading intervention. Currently, Stark is in her second year of teaching fourth grade at Murray Middle School. Stark’s husband, Jay Stark, is also a teacher in the Murray Independent School District.
Stark wanted to be a teacher since she was a young child. It’s the relationships with her own teachers and her personal calling that have spurred her to work hard each year to build personal connections with students, set high academic expectations, and, above all, make her classroom a safe, joyful place where students become family.