It comes as no surprise that Kelly Lile was named the 2026 Garden Elementary School Teacher of the Year. Step into her fourth-grade classroom and you’ll quickly feel it — learning is joyful, curiosity is celebrated, and students are encouraged to see challenges as opportunities. Whether she’s teaching math, reading or something in between, Lile brings energy and intention to every lesson.
That same spirit of creativity and problem-solving was recognized again last week when she received the Sarasota County 2026 Teacher of the Year Innovation Award at the Ignite Education Teacher of the Year celebration hosted by the Education Foundation of Sarasota County. 
“I am honored that my colleagues would nominate me,” Lile said. “I’m very humbled that I get to represent my school community because there are so many wonderful teachers at Garden. It’s a team effort. It’s a great culture.” 
Lile grew up in a small town in southern Illinois. Her parents owned an air conditioning business and often talked about retiring in Florida. Eventually, they decided not to wait and moved the family to North Port, where Lile completed her senior year of high school. She went on to study at Southeastern University in Lakeland, earning a degree in elementary education and staying in the area to begin her teaching career, now in her 14th year.
Lile’s caring nature and eagerness to help others are hallmarks of her teaching style — qualities essential for any educator, especially at the elementary level. For her, innovation isn’t about flashy tools or the latest buzzwords. It’s about harnessing creativity to meet students where they are and help every child discover what’s possible.
“One of my strengths is bringing joy and fun to the curriculum,” she said, noting that “these students are only 9 years old! It’s our job to take a bland lesson and add the magic to bring it to life and help students love to learn. I want to create lifelong learners.” 
To do this, Lile is never short on engaging ideas. To teach decimals, she transforms her classroom into a diner where students create menus, practice phone etiquette, fulfill orders and deliver them with fully produced math receipts. The “Decimal Diner” allows students to learn through real-world application.
She has also hosted “book tastings,” where stacks of books from multiple genres are presented on platters. With a ticking timer, students read a few pages from each selection and move on to the next, reflecting on what they’ve read and then discuss their impressions with classmates. Lile believes it’s important for students to step outside their comfort zones and try new things, and that includes new books.
That adaptability extends beyond lesson planning. When a server outage once took down the internet during a multiplication lesson, Lile pivoted on the spot. Students quickly became Amazon warehouse workers, “fulfilling” orders using two-digit multiplication.
When asked what advice she would give to someone considering a teaching career, Lile reflected on her recent experience mentoring an intern.
“Teaching can be challenging,” she said, “but challenging is a good thing. It keeps things from getting boring and keeps things fresh. Go for it. Get to know your students and have fun right along with them.”
It’s this innovative thinking and positive perspective that earned Lile the Sarasota County Teacher of the Year Innovation Award — and the admiration of her students, colleagues and community.