Hanover County’s Cool Spring Elementary School has named Randolph-Macon alumna Fraser Mayberry Hill ’18 its Teacher of the Year. Hill, a fourth grade teacher who is in her sixth year at Cool Spring Elementary, was nominated and selected for the award by her peers on the faculty.

Hill’s colleagues and administrators at Cool Spring were effusive in their praise for her impact on both her own classroom and the school as a whole.

“Mrs. Fraser Hill is a passionate and dedicated educator for whom ‘above and beyond’ is the norm,” said Cool Spring Elementary School Principal Sarah Pike. “She builds strong relationships with her students, building each one up by focusing on their strengths.”

Hill is grateful for the honor, and says the opportunity to innovate and make learning fun for her students is a big part of what she values in her time in the classroom. “The best part of being a teacher nowadays is that this is not how I went to school when I was younger. Everything has just evolved so much, and I think there’s a bigger emphasis on working together and collaborating,” Hill explained. “I’m hoping that when my students look back, they think ‘oh that was really fun, the way I learned this.’”

She has even helped make classroom management fun with a “house system,” evocative of Hogwarts from the Harry Potter series, for Cool Spring’s fourth grade classes. Students earn points for their house based on positive behavior. The initiative has gotten immediate buy-in from both students and faculty.

Cool Spring Assistant Principal Jamie Mullenaux noted this in nominating Hill for the award. “Her dedication to the development and implementation of innovative ideas, such as initiating the house system within her grade level, has significantly enriched the student experience at our school,” Mullenaux wrote. “Fraser has exemplified exceptional leadership qualities, fostering a collaborative environment among her colleagues and students alike.”

Hill was a psychology major and elementary education minor in her time at RMC. A native of Mechanicsville, Va., she still lives nearby and continues to engage with the Department of Education as an officer on the Education Alumni Advisory Board and regularly speaks to education classes.

“Being on the board is a really easy way for me to remain connected to the campus and connected to the department,” Hill said. “And it’s fun! When we met this fall at Homecoming, we spent time talking about issues in education and the positive things we’ve done lately. That’s the kind of stuff that I geek out about; I just love talking with other people in the career about their ideas and what works for them.”

Ultimately, Hill credits her time at RMC as the foundation of her career as an engaged and passionate educator.

“I owe a lot to Randolph-Macon,” Hill reflected. “I think picking this school was one of the best decisions I could have made; the Education Department completely got me where I am today.”