Each year, Chesterfield County Public Schools recognizes four new teachers as the best among their peers. The Beginning Teacher of the Year Awards recognize new educators who excel in instructional planning and delivery, in creation of a learning environment and in professionalism. This year, 32 of the 256 new teachers working in Chesterfield schools were nominated. Here are the 2026 Beginning Teachers of the Year:
The Elementary School Beginning Teacher of the Year is Mara McBane, who teaches music at Hening Elementary.
About her first year in education, she wrote: “This year has challenged me to reflect deeply on who I am as an educator and what is truly important to me as a human. … Through my students, I have learned that the most meaningful impact I can have is not just in what I teach, but in how I make students feel and the classroom culture we create. … I strive to create a classroom where every student, regardless of background or ability, has access to meaningful experiences, a voice in their learning and a true sense of belonging. Equity is the foundation of my teaching, and it will continue to guide me as I grow alongside my students.”
McBane’s nominator wrote this: “In her debut year, Mara has redefined what it means to go above and beyond the expectations of a first-year educator. Her professionalism is rooted in a rare ability to build deep and authentic connections, bridging the gap between the classroom and the community by fostering meaningful relationships with students, colleagues and families alike. She … has poured her energy into expanding our school's musical culture. … Mara revived the after-school Chorus Club and planned performances that gave students across grade levels a stage to shine. … Perhaps most impressive is her growth mindset; she navigates the challenges of a new career with remarkable poise, accepting feedback with genuine grace and a proactive hunger to learn from those around her. She is … an absolute joy to work with, radiating a positivity that elevates what Hening is about.”
The Middle School Beginning Teacher of the Year is Keighton Bell, who teaches drama at Manchester Middle.
Bell’s nominator wrote this: “Mr. Bell’s instruction goes beyond traditional theater education. For the fall production, he developed an innovative original play based on student writing assignments, allowing students to see their voices reflected on stage. He also collaborates intentionally with other departments: art students created set pieces, digital art classes designed promotional posters, and he is actively working with English teachers to support writing development through drama. … His classroom fosters growth for all learners, including multilingual students. English language learners who previously hesitated to participate now speak confidently in class because of the safe and supportive environment he creates. … Participation in theater has grown significantly.”
About the start to his career, Bell wrote: “I quickly realized that building a successful program from the ground up would require a lot more than just teaching content. … My priority had to be building relationships and creating a classroom environment where students felt safe enough to take risks and share their voices. … I developed a 30-minute production titled ‘The Unknown’ [based on student essays about overcoming challenges]. Rather than telling individual stories, the play became a collective representation of the Manchester Middle School experience. … The experience emphasized why I chose teaching while also transforming my understanding of it. I entered the year focused on instruction, but I am finishing it with the understanding that relationships are the foundation of meaningful learning. … Moving forward, I will continue building a theater program that reflects CCPS values by creating collaborative opportunities, promoting teamwork, encouraging ingenuity and leading with integrity so every student I teach understands they belong, their voice matters and they are capable of success.”
The High School Beginning Teacher of the Year is Hayat Adawi, who teaches math at Matoaca High.
About switching careers after previously working as an energy materials research scientist, Adawi wrote: “Like scientific research, teaching has required me to embrace risks of failure and proactively learn from their manifestations. … Every day, I iteratively refine my classroom management and instructional techniques to optimize student engagement in a notoriously unpopular subject.” After trying a gamifying approach, then lesson chunking using an online platform, she found that her honors geometry students learned best when she “retained our chunked lesson structure but pivoted to handwritten problem sets. Currently, all work must be shown for full credit. Students self-check their final numerical answers by trying to match them to a scrambled answer bank. … I am already so excited to begin the 2026-27 school year to work with this refined lesson structure.”
Adawi’s nominator wrote this: “Ms. Adawi’s transition from a non-education background to a standout geometry educator at Matoaca is a testament to her professional agility. She doesn’t just ‘teach’ geometry; she engineers a learning environment based on real-time student performance. … Ms. Adawi has cultivated a classroom culture that balances high academic expectations with deep psychological safety. She views the ‘struggle’ of learning geometry not as a hurdle, but as a collective team effort. … Ms. Adawi understands that a teacher’s impact extends past the classroom door. She is a visible and supportive presence in the broader Matoaca ecosystem, including the lunchroom where she is frequently seen purchasing what she calls ‘the best lunch ever.’ … She operates with a ‘team-first’ mentality. Her colleagues view her as a reliable, solution-oriented partner who prioritizes the collective success of the school. … Her journey proves that with the right mindset, an educator can become a leader of both students and peers simultaneously.”
The overall CCPS Beginning Teacher of the Year is Tommy Ryan, who teaches English as a second language at James River High.
Ryan’s nominator wrote this: “Mr. Ryan’s instructional delivery is defined by a rare ability to bridge rigorous content with targeted linguistic support. … Mr. Ryan demonstrates an exceptional ability to translate abstract constitutional concepts into accessible, 'sticky' learning moments. … His use of the 'cheeseburger' analogy for the three branches of government provided a multisensory hook that resulted in the entire class spontaneously applauding — a rare mark of student engagement and clarity in a senior-level classroom. … Mr. Ryan excels at creating a psychologically safe 'proving ground' for students who often feel marginalized by language barriers. … When a student admitted 'I don't know' … Mr. Ryan pivoted instantly, reframing the moment not as a failure, but as a catalyst for the day’s lesson: 'Well good ... when you don’t understand, we have to figure it out.' This interaction perfectly illustrates the climate of trust he has built; his students are comfortable being vulnerable because they know he will provide the tools — such as sentence frames and visual posters — to help them succeed.”
Detailing the start to his teaching career, Ryan created a video that says in part: “I struggled a lot in school. That made me feel isolated, and I got in my head about whether I’m smart enough or not. And I think that your environment has so much to do with that. That’s why team building is a pillar of my teaching style.”
