A "True Anchor" to Green Canyon High School: Teacher of the Year, Malayna Knowles
In Malayna Knowles’ classroom, it's not just the grade that matters — it is that her students are really learning. She teaches her students how to study, how to ask questions, how to be curious, how to fail, and how to learn. It is this philosophy and many other qualities that have earned her the title of Green Canyon Teacher of the Year.
Knowles has been teaching for over 22 years, seven of which have been full-time. She has taught government, sociology, psychology, and ancient and modern world history. When she first began teaching, the majority of her students were juniors and seniors. However, when Green Canyon High School opened, she began teaching freshman geology classes. With this change, Knowles admits she has had to adjust her philosophy over the last couple of years. Instead of preparing students to move past high school, she is now preparing them to succeed in high school. But her overall goal has not changed.
“I want to make sure that my students know how to advocate for themselves; that they’ll go talk to a teacher,” Knowles said. “I want them to ask questions when they don’t understand. In my class you can re-do, you can do anything again, do it late. I always say that this is about the student learning the material. So, if it takes you a little longer to learn it than other people, that’s fine. I want my students to know how to fail, and fail gloriously, and learn from that failure because if you never fail, you never learn.”
Not only has Knowles excelled as an educator, but she also coached volleyball for 15 years at Sky View and at Green Canyon for two years. This is the first year since 2012 that she has not coached. Knowles loved how being a volleyball coach allowed her to connect with and inspire her students.
Green Canyon HS Principal Dave Swenson appreciates that Knowles truly cares about her students, both personally and academically. “She is experienced, but still willing to question her practices and change when she finds a better way,” Swenson explained. “She is kind to everyone she works with and she is a builder. Everyone feels better and does better when they work with her. She has a voice of reason and is a true anchor in our school.”