The Nebraska Writing Project presents the 2025 Carol MacDaniels Teacher of the Year Award to Sandra Peter. After working tirelessly as a public educator in elementary schools for over 40 years, Sandra has continued to make a transformative impact on young people in our state through leadership roles in the Nebraska Writing Project, in a decades-long involvement that has spanned across the Summer Institute, Leadership Institute, Advisory Board, youth camp coordination, and more. Sandra stands out for her unwavering commitment to valuing the voices of young people–through her quiet presence, she creates space for them to speak, from the programs she creates to the individual relationships she nurtures.
Sandra taught for many years at Pyrtle Elementary School with students of varying ages and abilities; her former principal describes her as “a reflective, empathetic, caring person who always puts the needs of her students first.” One of her former colleagues remembers hosting a yearly reflection with older elementary students about their time at the school, and “Every year students would comment about Sandra. They would appreciate her calm, consistent demeanor and the way she would support their ideas in her own quiet way. Without fail, every year, someone would say, "She makes me feel comfortable in my own skin." or "She makes me feel like it is okay to be myself." Sandra has continued to create spaces like this for students as an LPS mentor. The parent of a current mentee adds, “When I asked how Sandra handled my daughter's many ideas, she got a twinkle in her eye and responded, "She takes us on lots of adventures!" As a mom, I'm not sure anything could be more comforting than having a space where my child's ideas are being heard and explored.”
When the I/We Love to Write youth camp was in danger of folding as previous leaders were leaving, Sandra stepped up and revitalized the program–including through COVID! These camps include a family literacy track, where parents can write alongside students, and one parent participant reflects, “Sandra can see potential in every young writer, I still remember her words when she spoke to kids–“everyone can be a writer” – that made a huge impact on not just my kids but to me as well (even if I am an adult).” The participants in I/We Love to Write internalize this message! When I visited the vibrant camp showcase this year, I saw every participant who was there, from the very youngest, take the podium and proclaim, “I am a writer!” before reading their piece to a full auditorium.
Sandra can teach students to find meaning in their own writing, because she walks this path herself. For many years, she was a participant in the NeWP Thursday Night Writing Group with Robert Brooke and other teachers. He reflects, “I can say with admiration that Sandra is a fine writer herself – and that her desire to share writing with young writers emerges from her personal knowledge of writing as an act of inquiry, expression, and understanding.” You can hear this commitment echoed in Sandra’s own prose: “I view writing as a foundation for understanding. Creating a community of writers allows us to write and express ourselves freely . . . In working alongside other writers, we practice choosing words carefully and thinking about how the words we hear, speak, and write apply to each of us. Then, we can integrate and clarify our own thoughts, consider others’ perspectives, and think about new ideas we may not have thought about before. This sharing helps to create a dialogue of similarities and differences, create valuable conversations, and helps communities grow together . . . “
Sandra, thank you for helping to grow our community through your teaching, writing, and leadership. We are thrilled to present you with the Carol MacDaniels Teacher of the Year Award.
