SHERIDAN — Lindsey Bohler, 35, graduated from Sheridan High School in 2000 and had her first teaching job in 2004. By 2011, she was an assistant principal in Crossett, and in 2015, she returned to her hometown to become the principal at Sheridan Elementary School.
“My ambition was always to be a principal,” she told visitors as she sat in her office at Sheridan Elementary School. “I love teaching, but I always wanted to be a principal.”
As she talked about her role as an educator, Bohler said it was “unusual” for her to be sitting in her office.
“I’m usually out there,” she said, referencing the hallways and classrooms of the school, which was built in 2003. “If I am not out there, I can’t know what’s going on.”
In fact, she is usually seen in the hallways wearing a backpack as she travels from classroom to classroom, helping out whenever she can. It’s this energy and willingness to help both teachers and students that led to a recent honor she received.
Bohler was named the Arkansas Art Educators Administrator of the Year at the organization’s 2017 fall conference Nov. 9 and 10 in North Little Rock.
“This is a very prestigious honor,” Sheridan School District Superintendent Jerrod Williams said. “She is very deserving of this award, as she works diligently every day to ensure her staff has the support and tools they need to provide a top-notch, well-rounded education for students at Sheridan Elementary School.”
Bohler said it was an “honor” to receive the Arkansas Art Educators Administrator of the Year award.
“I believe in art education because it gives students opportunities to design, create and express their individuality,” she said. “We encourage art education each day at Sheridan Elementary School through our Family Activity Bags and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics) Lab, as well as students attending art-activity class each week.”
Last school year under Bohler’s direction, Sheridan Elementary School started sending home Family Activity Bags with students to not only encourage learning through fun activities but to also make it easy for parents to become more involved in their children’s learning.
The local elementary school began offering the STEAM Lab this year.
“The students and teachers love the STEAM Lab,” she said.
Bohler said students in the STEAM Lab have the opportunity to explore, create and try new things.
“They are learning and don’t even realize it because they are having so much fun,” she said.
Sarah Higgins of Little Rock, an art educator at Episcopal Collegiate Middle School in Little Rock and chairwoman of this year’s AAE awards program, said, “Lindsey was nominated by Jeri Newberry for her excellent leadership and support of the arts in Arkansas. She provides the necessary support to allow an arts program and its educators to flourish.”
During the awards ceremony at the Arkansas Art Educators conference, Newberry, the art teacher at Sheridan Elementary School, told why she nominated Bohler for the award.
“She’s all about the kids; she’s all about what’s best for them,” Newberry said in her recommendation.
Newberry said she enjoys working with Bohler because she is energetic and very involved throughout the building.
“She doesn’t even stay in her office,” Newberry said. “She wears a backpack, and she’s on the go.
“It’s nothing for her to drop into your room and spend time and become an art student just like the kids,” Newberry said.
Newberry said Bohler consistently asks for her input and makes her feel important. She said working with Bohler makes her feel like she works at “the happiest place on Earth.”
After high school graduation, Bohler attended the University of Arkansas at Monticello, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2004 and a Master of Educational Leadership degree in 2009. She received certification in early childhood education in 2012 from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. And in 2014, Bohler received certification as an educational specialist in superintendency and educational-system administration from Arkansas State University.
Bohler is currently in her third year of the Arkansas Leadership Academy, where she is working to complete the Master Principal Program.
Bohler’s first teaching job in 2004 was at Cabot Eastside Elementary School, where she taught second grade for one year. She moved to Monticello while her husband, Jason Bohler, served with the Army in Iraq for two years. Jason Bohler is core campus director for Virtual Arkansas, which, according to the website virtualarkansas.org, provides digital courses to public-school students in Arkansas and utilizes Arkansas-licensed instructors through a partnership between the Arkansas Department of Education and the Arkansas Education Service Cooperatives.
Lindsey Bohler taught kindergarten at Monticello Elementary School for five years.
“Kindergarten is my love, but I was looking for an administrator’s job,” she said. “I went to Crossett Middle School, where I taught fifth and sixth grades, which was a big jump. I did that for one year and then was able to get into administration, serving as assistant principal at Crossett Elementary School for four years.”
Bohler has one daughter, Payton, who is a student at Sheridan Intermediate School. Bohler also has a stepson, Dylan Bohler, who is in his second year at Central Baptist College in Conway.
Bohler is a daughter of Wayne and Sherry Gilbert of East End. She has one younger sister, Courtney Gilbert of Bentonville, who is also a graduate of Sheridan High School.
Bohler said she does enjoy time away from her job, especially taking trips with her family to places they have never been.
“For Christmas, we are going to the Great Smoky Mountains,” she said. “And on any random Sunday, we might drive up to the Buffalo River or somewhere we’ve never been.
“Payton is also involved in soccer, so we spend a lot of time watching her play,” Bohler said. “And Dylan plays baseball at Central Baptist, so we try to watch him when we can.”
Once a week, Bohler can be found as a co-moderator of a twitter chat about education.
“Every Thursday night at 8:30, you can find me on #EduAR Twitter chat,” Bohler said, adding, “I embrace technology.”