Travilah Elementary Teacher Honored For Excellence

Carol Knoblach, a fourth grade teacher at Travilah Elementary School, was selected this September as one of the outstanding teachers receiving the Marian Greenblatt Excellence in Teaching Award.

"The one reason that we are here is because of academics, and she is an amazing, amazing teacher and the children would follow her to the end of the earth," said Travilah Elementary School Principal Susan Shenk in an interview. "She has done an outstanding job of inspiring."

Shenk nominated Knoblach as a veteran teacher. This requires that the teacher be full-time and spend the majority of her time teaching. The teacher must also have five years experience in Montgomery County Public Schools at the time of nomination.

Knoblach was one of four teachers to win the Marian Greenblatt Excellence in Teaching Award on April 28, 2010 at the 8th annual Champions for Children Gala, hosted by the Montgomery County Business Roundtable for Education. She received $1,000 for winning the award.

"When we look at winners like Mrs. Knoblach, we see excellence of the kind that the county, the state, and the country need, to make a better place," Marshall Greenblatt, board member and husband to the late Marion Greenblatt, said in an email.

Marshall said he started the fund with his three sons to honor his late wife's commitment to education.

"We decided to recognize the teachers who were excellent in helping their students to excel, who were helping younger teachers, and who were helping the community," he said.

He said Knoblach was an obvious choice for the award.

"It seemed so natural to recognize teachers who were like her--for us, the four Greenblatts, honoring teachers who are like Marian Greenblatt was a way to continue her work and her objectives," he said.

Knoblach first came to Travilah in 1996 as a paraeducator. She received her Masters in Education in 2004 from the University of Maryland and remained at Travilah. Over the years she has started many new programs at the school.

"When I wanted to start a student government, she jumped on the bandwagon and then all of the sudden I've got 3 teachers that are the student government sponsors," Shenk said.

Knoblach heads the Student Government, is the 4th grade team leader, designs costumes and lighting for the 4th grade musical, and wrote and received a grant to build the schools pond.

Knoblach agreed the award is about more than just her own work.

"[It's] an opportunity to bring forth all of the good things at the school, which is so important and so wonderful," Knoblach told Patch in an interview.

One of those good things spearheaded by Knoblach is the schools achievement as a green school.

 "We actually became a green school and we have our green school flag award hanging because of Mrs. Knoblach's efforts," said Shenk.

"Those are all the things that just get you so inspired," Knoblach said.

Her inspiration can also be seen through school outreach efforts, such as a stuffed animal and candy drive for children and soldiers in Iraq.

In addition, Knoblach puts together a supply drive of student items that they might otherwise be thrown out at the end of the school year. She then refurbishes them over the summer and distributes them to students in need the following fall. 

"We study idioms an awful lot in the 4th grade," said Knoblach. "We always talk about pay it forward. In the beginning, just a few weeks ago, nobody knew what that meant, and now kids are going 'I'm going to pay it forward it's a random act of kindness. We're going to move it forward'."

It has not been formally announced yet, but Shenk revealed to Patch that Mrs. Knoblach is also receiving The University of Maryland Alumni Teacher of the Year Award. That date has not yet been set.

 "I don't know what comes with that yet, but we'll find out," said Shenk.