Provo Way Award Recipient: Lindsay Baccus, Timpanogos Facilitator

May 22nd, 2023 /
Spencer Tuinei /
Elementary School, News, Recognitions and Awards, Schools, Timpanogos

In the realm of education, facilitators play a key role in guiding teachers, supporting students, and fostering an environment of growth and success. But what distinguishes a good facilitator from a genuinely great facilitator?

Meet Lindsay Baccus: Timpanogos Elementary Facilitator. Lindsay Baccus exemplifies the Provo Way, embodying the belief that growth is a mindset that carries one throughout life. She is a lifelong learner and strategic thinker who values seeing others succeed.

We are proud to award her with the Provo Way Award.

No one is more deserving of the award than Lindsay. In the words of her nominator, Assistant Superintendent Anne-Marie Harrison:

“Lindsay is among the most capable and willing employees I’ve ever met. As she moved from a classroom teacher to a district instructional coach to a school facilitator, she exemplifies commitment to teacher and student support. Lindsay actively pursues ways to help individuals; she doesn’t wait to be compelled.

Though her background is in secondary education, she volunteered to learn a K-3 early reading program to model it in teachers’ classrooms when she was an instructional coach. It was a huge learning task, and she happily plunged into the experience.

When it seemed no one was running for the teacher association’s presidency, she pursued it. She has been proactive in helping individual teachers and creating processes for the organization’s benefit.

Lindsay has made a point to visit with specific students regularly; these are students who are on behavior plans and are at risk of academic/behavioral problems. Her consistency with these visits and the follow-up she communicates with the student’s teachers are exemplary. One teacher recently told her they have never had such extensive student follow-up.

Lindsay was the jack of all trades when working in the Teaching and Learning Department! She supported teachers and programs specific to Health and PE, her area of expertise, but also took on many other areas and assignments, often having to study and learn to get background information. I never had to worry that someone wouldn’t complete a task –and completed well–when Lindsay was assigned them! All the while, she showed positivity and proactivity.

In the middle of this school year, a position of need opened at a school. Lindsay willingly took the assignment, leaving a role she was very familiar with and productive in. She sought the challenge of new learning and worked to learn the new job very quickly. This attitude is the same attitude I always have with her! She models a growth mindset and positivity.

We teach students to be life-long learners. Lindsay is the best model of this, I know. She knows we can learn at higher levels than we might even believe. She then provides step by step support to help people meet their potential. I’m so grateful that Lindsay is pursuing leadership positions–she represents the best of our profession!”

So, what makes a genuinely great Facilitator? It’s someone willing to volunteer, take on new roles, and care personally about students’ and teachers’ success; it’s Lindsay Baccus. She is a results-driven, strategic planner who places immense value on staff development, training, relationship building, coaching, mentoring, and retention. Her efforts have lifted students and staff to new heights, creating an environment that fosters growth and success wherever she goes.

Lindsay Baccus represents the best of the teaching profession. Her deep understanding of curriculum, love for students, and unwavering dedication to their success make her an outstanding educator. Through her relentless pursuit of growth and steadfast support of those around her, Lindsay truly embodies the spirit of the Provo Way.

As we celebrate Lindsay’s remarkable achievements and the positive impact she continues to have on the Provo City School District, let us be inspired by her example, remembering that growth is a mindset that propels us toward excellence in all aspects of life.