FREELAND — A Saginaw County educator who is known for fostering growth and a joy for learning in her students has been honored with an Excellence in Education award from the Michigan Lottery.
The award winner, Jessi Koehler, is an elementary STEM teacher at Freeland Elementary School and Freeland Learning Center. The schools are part of the Freeland Community School District.
The Michigan Lottery established the Excellence in Education awards in 2014 to recognize outstanding public-school educators across the state during the school year.
Winners of the weekly award receive a $2,000 cash prize. At the end of the school year, one of the weekly award winners will be selected to receive the Lottery’s Educator of the Year award and will receive a $10,000 cash prize.
Each winner is also featured in a news segment on the Lottery’s media partner stations: WXYZ-TV in Detroit, FOX 17 in Grand Rapids, FOX 47 in Lansing, WLUC in Marquette, WNEM-TV in Saginaw, and WWTV-TV in Traverse City. The news segment featuring Koehler will air this evening.
Koehler said her parents inspired her to pursue a career in education.
“I grew up in a house where helping and teaching others was just a part of our everyday. Both my parents coached and my mom worked as a paraprofessional, and I was lucky enough to see the impact that they had on others and the community. As a kid, I always found myself drawn to working with younger kids and peers, whether it was helping out in class, mentoring, or just naturally stepping into a leadership role with my peers. I also had a lot of amazing teachers and coaches growing up who made a huge difference in my life, and that always stuck with me. I knew that I also wanted to coach a bit, too, and teaching gave me the chance to combine that with something else I’ve always loved – being creative. It all just seemed to fit for me.”
Koehler was nominated for the award by members of the Freeland community.
“Jessi has a truly special gift for making each day in her classroom a magical, meaningful experience for every child she encounters. One of the most inspiring aspects of Jessi’s teaching is the way she uses dramatic play as a powerful tool for learning. Whether it’s transforming the classroom into a post office, a veterinarian’s clinic, or a space station, Jessi creates immersive environments that invite children to take on roles, explore new ideas, and engage their imaginations.
“This kind of play is not only fun, but it also lays the foundation for literacy, math, and social-emotional learning in ways that are deeply engaging and developmentally appropriate. Beyond imagination, Jessi encourages curiosity and problem solving through open-ended play and thoughtful questions. She doesn’t give answers, she inspires students to seek them out. Whether they’re building, pretending, or navigating social scenarios, Jessi guides students to think critically, collaborate, and try new solutions.
“She respects their ideas, celebrates their efforts, and helps them see challenges as opportunities. What sets Jessi apart most, however, is the genuine joy she brings into the classroom each and every day. You can feel it when you walk through the door. Children are smiling, laughing, and thriving under her care. She brings warmth, patience, and creativity to everything she does, and it radiates out to her students, her colleagues, and even the community as a whole. Children often come home excited to share not just what they learned, but how much fun they had doing it.”
Koehler earned a bachelor’s degree from Alma College and a master’s degree from Marygrove College. She has been an educator for 24 years, the last eight in her current position.
Excellence in Education award nominees are evaluated on the following criteria:
- Excellence – Their work consistently helps students and/or their schools or school districts advance to higher levels of academic achievement.
- Dedication – They consistently go above and beyond expectations to help students succeed.
- Inspiration – Their work inspires others around them to exceed expectations either academically or professionally.
- Leadership – They demonstrate clear leadership skills in their positions with their school or school districts.
Effectiveness – The nominee’s work has clear and positive results on the educational advancement of students within the school or school district