ST. LOUIS — A St. Louis area educator has been named Missouri’s 2021 Teacher of the Year.
Students, staff and administrators surprised Crestwood Elementary School physical education teacher Darrion Cockrell with the news on Friday.
“Missouri is fortunate to have so many high-quality educators, and Darrion will be a wonderful representative as our state’s Teacher of the Year,” Commissioner of Education Margie Vandeven said. “He guides his students towards long-term physical and mental wellness, and the connections he has established will impact Crestwood children for years to come.”
Cockrell has taught PE at the school since 2015 and during his five years, he has created relationships with his students to show the importance of staying active through positive experiences with exercise, the school district said in a press release.
“Mr. DC is a role model for his students, and he is an outstanding representative for Lindbergh teachers districtwide,” said Superintendent Dr. Tony Lake. “He is someone who is always willing to lend a helping hand, inspires his fellow teachers, and motivates everyone at Crestwood. Most importantly, he is an amazing teacher who cares about his students and loves what he does.”
Cockrell is an active member of Dads Club and created a weekly after hours open gym, is a part of Crestwood’s Diversity Committee and serves as the Read, Right, Run Coordinator at Crestwood Elementary School.
He created the “Crest-Fit” training program, which has reached thousands of people, and continues to share fitness videos online that he creates with his son. He also recently received a 2020 National Box Tops for Education Twilight Award, presented by Chance the Rapper.
“As a physical educator, I have the unique opportunity to prepare my students both mentally and physically by teaching them the building blocks of fitness and health,” Cockrell said. “Combining a fun atmosphere with music, fitness and healthy life skills has truly become a recipe for success in my classroom.”
Being named Missouri’s teacher of the year puts Cockrell in the running for the 2021 National Teacher of the Year award, which will be announced in May.
