Damascus Middle School is excited to announce our Teacher of the Year for the 2025-2026 school year, Mrs. Lisa Blackburn! Mrs. Blackburn brings the same energy to the classroom now (her 35th year of teaching, with 28 of those years spent teaching seventh graders English at DMS), as she has every year she has been an educator! She knows what strategies and activities work with middle school students, like the books her students write, illustrate, and read to RVES kindergartners and the Greek Mythology projects students create each year. Yet, she is never afraid to try new things, integrating current trends, technology, and ideas to keep students engaged.
Her enthusiasm can be seen in everything she does! As Athletic Director and co-sponsor of the Spirit Club, she is instrumental in highlighting our student athletes with DMS Student Athlete Profiles posted in the main hallway and gives our student athletes the opportunity to honor the teacher(s) who have impacted their lives with My Jersey: Your Impact ceremonies. Through all of the roles she fills at DMS, she seeks to build relationships with students by recognizing who they are as individuals. It is no wonder that former students often stop by DMS to visit Mrs. Blackburn; her impact is felt throughout their lives. We are so thankful she is a part of our faculty! Congratulations, Mrs. Blackburn!