“It’s the supreme art of the teacher,” once said Albert Einstein, “to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.” Every day, the spark of learning is inspired by the good, hard work of CSD teachers. Following a cherished 15-year tradition, educators from CSD schools and programs are being honored for their efforts to lift, inspire, and embolden.  In CSD’s Teacher of the Year selection process, schools and programs choose one educator to be lauded for their excellence. In recent weeks, those teachers were surprised with the news that they had been selected as their school’s top teacher for the year. They all received gifts and prizes, as well as a $250 cash card, from the Canyons Education Foundation, which is a co-sponsor of CSD’s annual Teacher of the Year awards program. From the field of the school-based winners featured below, CSD will select three finalists — one from the elementary level, one from the middle school level, and one from the high school level.  The overall Teacher of the Year, who also will serve as Canyons’ representative in the state’s top-teacher selection process, will be chosen from those three finalists.  The first-place pick will receive a $1,000 cash prize from CSD’s Foundation. The community is invited to the Teacher of the Year announcement ceremony on Tuesday, April 23 at Butler Middle, 7530 S. 2700 East. A reception starts at 6:15 p.m.  The ceremony begins at 7 p.m.  The event is free and open to the public.