Former Rush County resident Elisabeth Smith has been honored for exceptional teaching by the Talented and Gifted Parents Association of the Prince George’s County (Md.) Public Schools. In her third year with the school district, Smith teaches fifth grade at Greenbelt Elementary School.

Smith earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Butler University in 2005. She now lives in Washington, D.C.

In the last academic year Smith taught all subjects to 30 students; 24 of them ranked as “gifted and talented.” A favorite project was helping her class stage a school-wide mock U.S. presidential election that involved 600 voters. In preparation for the election, the students researched and educated the school community about candidates Barack Obama and John McCain, and other election-related topics, such as the Electoral College and political parties. Student-designed posters promoted the importance of voting.

In addition to teaching, Smith serves as grade level chair and mathematics chair and is a member of Greenbelt’s Gifted and Talented Committee and School Based Management Team. She was one of seven teachers recognized. The second largest school system in Maryland and the 18th largest in the nation, Prince George’s County has approximately 10,000 teachers and serves more than 134,000 students.