"My kids just started cheering and chanting my name and I went up to the front and to be completely honest, it is very much a blur."
The surprise was months in the making, kept secret by colleagues, leadership, and students alike, who had even recorded heartwarming appreciation videos under the guise of Teacher Appreciation Week.
Fifth-grade Teacher Audrea Veeder was surprised last spring at an assembly announcing her as a National Heritage Academies 2025-26 Excellence in Teaching winner!
"My dean said, 'This is one of the hardest secrets I've ever had to keep,' and I just was in complete disbelief."
Veeder’s journey into education began early, playing school with her younger brother, before she formally earned her degree from Grand Valley State University in 2011. While many prospective educators were being advised to leave the state during a tight job market, Veeder secured a position within NHA starting with a maternity leave coverage at Chandler Woods. She never looked back.
Her core teaching philosophy stems directly from her own childhood experience as a quiet student who often felt invisible in large classrooms.
"What drew me to teaching is I always felt like I got looked over because I was so quiet. And so, it was very important to me to have a classroom community where my kids feel safe and seen and heard."
Audrea’s recognition as an Excellence in Teaching winner stands as a testament to the profound, daily impact she has made on thousands of young lives.
Today, Veeder teaches departmentalized 5th-grade English Language Arts, balancing academic rigor with deep personal connection. To foster an environment built on trust and self-worth, her students begin every single day by reciting a classroom mantra: "I am important. I am safe and cared for, and I can do hard things." Through shared reading, creative writing, and Moral Focus™ lessons, she guides her students through a pivotal developmental age, one where they are old enough to understand sarcasm and take on independence, but still young enough to need a safe harbor.
When challenging days arise, Veeder draws strength from her faith, her tight-knit school community, and a special drawer in her desk filled with handwritten notes from former students over her 15-year career. Reflecting on what keeps an educator grounded, she stresses the necessity of collaboration.
Family and friends were on hand to celebrate Audrea and her accomplishment.
"A piece of advice that I would give a first-year or a new teacher is your co-workers are going to be gold. Build a relationship with them. Use each other for ideas. Teaching can feel very isolating, but you can learn so much from your co-workers and from people that have been doing this much longer."
Audrea’s recognition as an Excellence in Teaching winner stands as a testament to the profound, daily impact she has made on thousands of young lives.
"I just hope that my students feel and know that they were so cared for in my classroom. I saw every single one of them on their good days and their bad days, that I was there for them, and that I helped them learn to their absolute highest potential."
Congratulations Audrea! Thank you for all you do for the Chandler Woods community.
About Chandler Woods Charter Academy
Chandler Woods Charter Academy is a tuition-free, public charter school in Belmont, Michigan, serving students in Young 5s through eighth grade. It is part of the National Heritage Academies (NHA®) network, which includes more than 100 tuition-free, public charter schools serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through high school across nine states. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.
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