Get to know your Midway Teachers of the Year

Di Copeman • Spring Valley Elementary

Di Copeman is a fourth grade math and science teacher at Spring Valley Elementary. She is in her fourth year of teaching at Midway ISD and loves collaborating with her Baylor teaching associates, who provide small group math instruction in her classroom. Through innovative, hands-on lessons, she creates an atmosphere of curiosity and creativity in which students take the lead. Outside the classroom, she simply could not be prouder of her husband, Wade Copeman, who was named Teacher of the Year at Midway Middle School. Together with their three children, the Copemans love cheering on their Midway Panthers at fine arts, sporting, and FFA events.

Wade Copeman • Midway Middle School

Wade Copeman is currently a coding and computer science teacher at Midway Middle School, and this is his seventh year of teaching, after choosing the profession as a second career. He has been at Midway for four years, starting at Woodgate Intermediate as a math teacher before transferring to the middle school. He loves coaching youth sports, attending Baylor events, woodworking, playing board games, and video games. He says, “If there is a score being kept, I’m in!” He is a husband and father to an amazing family. His wife, Di is also a Midway teacher, and together they have three amazing children. His favorite part of being a coding teacher is getting to know his students through their project content choices.

Kathryn Owens • South Bosque Elementary

Kathryn Owens has been singing her way through second grade at South Bosque for the past three years in Midway ISD. Anything can be taught through a song! As a native Texan, she has previously worked in Uvalde, Lubbock, and São Paulo, Brazil before landing in Waco. Her favorite subject is math, because it’s the same in every language. When she is not in her classroom teaching, you can find her baking, practicing her Portuguese, or on the beach with her family!

Jonathan Sides • River Valley Middle School

Jonathan Sides is a seventh grade science teacher at River Valley Middle School. He has spent six years in education, and this is his fourth year at Midway ISD. Outside of the classroom, he enjoys disc golf, 3D printing, and spending time with his wife, Carol and their three children, Finn (4), Arthur (2), and Bonnie (8 months). Every year, his favorite activity is frog dissection because he says it’s always so fun to see students really explore body systems and get their first taste of a serious science lab!

We will feature other Teacher of the Year winners in future issues, so be sure to pick up a copy!