The 2023 Unruliest Educator Awards are in, and we couldn’t be more excited to celebrate these Unruly innovators, dedicated advocates and often-understated everyday heroes. Thank you to the 1,370 friends and colleagues, who voted on the Unruliest among us. These classroom and district leaders stepped out of their comfort zones to get ahead of the in-demand skills of the modern economy for their students. We celebrate these winners for challenging themselves today to ensure an easier future for their students tomorrow.
Most Resilient Educator: Manjiri Jakhadi
STEAM Teacher, Sunlake Academy of Math & Science, FL
Manjiri was introduced to Splats in the fall of 2022 and hasn’t looked back since! She made it a goal to use Splats as part of her classroom observation this year and knocked it out of the park even in the face of some technical difficulties! She keeps a positive attitude, adapts quickly, and makes learning to code fun for her students.
The Unruliest Advocate: Brandy Lee
Instructional Coach, Sunlake Academy of Math & Science, FL
Brandy championed the Splats initiative at Sunlake Academy by getting other educators in her school excited about the possibilities with Splats and advocating for their support needs. She thinks of innovative ways to incorporate Splats into multiple classrooms throughout the school, works closely with the School Success Team to make those ideas happen and is passionate about finding new ways for students to learn!
Unruliest Library Media Specialist: Holly Nelson
Kennedy Community School, MN
When Holly first started using Splats she said she had a “goal of helping put Minnesota on the map for computer science education” and I think her work so far speaks for itself. She is one of our most engaged and enthusiastic educators, and has participated in multiple events, training sessions, customer interviews, and even worked with a local news station for an article on how she uses Splats to teach computer science. Holly wants her students to be creators and not just consumers and often has them code their own games and activities.
Unruliest PE Teacher: Richard Green
Phys Ed Teacher, General Stanford Elementary, NNPS
New to Splats this year, Richard was up for the Stomp Madness challenge! He did a deep dive into the pre-built games to find ones that he knew his students would be engaged with and they stomped their way to over 100,000 stomps in one week alone 🎉Next year, he’ll be leading a PD session with his teammate, Iris to get other teachers involved with Splats - Go Richard!
Most Innovative Educator: Tasha Robichaux
Port Allen Middle School, LA
Tasha is a champion of project based learning! Her students engage in creative Splats projects in which they craft games, music, and more. The key to her model is having students craft code for a “client” based on certain requirements. The possibilities are endless!
Unruliest Newcomer: Yvonne Kirkland
Middle School Critical Thinking Teacher, Hillsborough Academy of Math and Science, FL
Yvonne knows what it means to let students have fun while learning! She introduced Splats to her middle school computer science students and had them coding games for the elementary students soon after. Providing opportunities for student leadership and creation has not only been great for her middle school students, but also has allowed younger students to see what is possible with coding. Yvonne’s students stomped and coded their way through this year’s Stomp Madness competition too, putting up some serious numbers for the Slam Dunks!
Unruliest Techie: Kris Full
Remsen St. Mary’s, IA
Kris, like most educators, is very busy during the school year. She has multiple roles including teaching Computer Science, Online World Language Coordinator, and Technology Integrationist for Remsen St. Mary’s Schools, as well as being an Unruly Champion. Even with all of that going on, she still finds time to participate in Unruly Splats events, including being part of the winning team for our most recent Stomp Madness competition. That wasn’t enough for Kris, so she organized a bracket style tournament with her middle and high schoolers and said “it was interesting to see the upper grades' reactions going from "I'm too cool" to "Let's do this!"
Unruliest Principal: Scott Sauls
Putnam County Elementary School, FL
Scott has been an active participant in his school’s Unruly Splats membership! His enthusiasm for Splats ensured that they kicked off with his selected teachers and have been an ongoing success in his school. Keep the energy flowing, Scott!
Unruliest District Innovator: Sara Hale
Dean of Physical Education & Health, Bristol Public Schools, CT
Under Sara’s leadership and innovative vision, computer science has found its way into a space that some may not expect - PE! She knows how to rally her educators to get them excited and even helped organize the first ever Bristol X Unruly Stomp Madness district competition. Looking ahead to next year, she is planning on building a partnership with library media specialists in the schools to get students even more involved with coding - Go Sara!
“I got involved with SPLATS because I love the idea behind them and the doors they can open up for students in Bristol” - Sara Hale
Help us to celebrate and uplift those who are making a difference in the world of education. If you have a teacher or an educator who has made a difference in your life, reach out to them and let them know how much you appreciate them.
Unruly Studios makers of Unruly Splats, programmable, stompable floor tiles that help kids learn fundamental coding skills through recess-style play. Best for elementary and middle school students from PE to science or coding class, a great addition to the classroom for active STEM coding and play!
