GREENFIELD — Fourth Grade Newton Elementary School teacher Rachel Haag said she knew she had been selected for a Grinspoon Award when Superintendent Karin Patenaude and Assistant Superintendent Stephen Sullivan walked into her office with flowers one day.

Two of Haag’s colleagues nominated her for the Pioneer Valley Excellence in Teaching Award earlier this year for her high standards and engagement-driven lessons. She will be honored with the award at a banquet dinner in Holyoke April 30 alongside other western Massachusetts award recipients.

“I felt really happy to receive that accolade. I work really hard. I’ve been a teacher for 18 years, and I know that I’m surrounded by some really excellent teachers, not just in my building, but in my district,” Haag said. “To be selected among such quality peers made it feel even better.”

Although she spent 18 years working as a teacher, having held teaching positions in Holyoke and Springfield, Haag joined Greenfield Public Schools four years ago for her current position.

Asked to reflect on the work that led to her nomination, Haag said she was always willing to try and commit to new teaching strategies if they have been shown to drive academic engagement and success.

Recently, Haag said she has been enthusiastic and dedicated in her implementation of the “Think, Write, Pair Share” teaching strategy. The strategy, which has been encouraged by the district, prompts students to think and write about a particular topic before pairing up to discuss them and later discussing the topics with a larger group.

“Everyone has to be accountable for coming up with something to write down that they can share with their partner. If they weren’t able to come up with something that they wrote, they’re still not an opt-out, because then they’re at least getting that information from their peer,” Haag said. “It’s considered to be much better than just, like cold calling, where you ask a question and you’ll have the same kid put his hand up all the time. This strategy is known to get everyone involved.”

When asked about a paper-mache volcano model on display in her classroom, Haag recalled a geology project that was not built into the curriculum, in which students were tasked with creating informational posters about mountains and the Earth’s tectonic plates and were later asked to build their own volcanoes.

Patenaude, announcing Haag as the award recipient at a School Committee meeting, noted that she “sets a high bar” for classroom expectations she shows “compassion towards her students.” The superintendent also shared praise from Haag’s peers.

“[Haag’s students] know that they are cared for, loved and accepted. This combination of kindness and strong expectations creates an environment where any student can succeed,” Patenaude said. “Another nominee stated ‘She is an amazing colleague to work with and gives thoughtful and useful feed feedback, we are so lucky to work alongside her.’ ”

Anthony Cammalleri can be reached at acammalleri@recorder.com or 413-930-4429.