The 2009-2010 Teacher of the Year nominees have been announced and they are waiting to hear the final winner’s name announced over the intercom. The final winner will be announced on Friday, January 22, 2010. The nominees are science teacher Jennifer Berger, history teacher Brian Ricker and English teacher Jennifer Bulva.
All three nominees are favored throughout the school and many students have things to say about why they think they were nominated.
“[Mrs. Berger] is really funny,” said sophomore Kristen Kochmann. “Sometimes she just randomly sings things like ‘Everything off of your desk’ or ‘It’s like a little game!'”
The nominees were chosen by the school’s teachers and staff.
“Well, at this point, I do not even know who nominated me. I hope that whoever nominated me knew that I worked hard to prepare my lessons so that students could find enjoyment in learning,” said Mrs. Berger. “Also, I hope they realize that I really care about my students and their future.”
The teachers chosen were asked to write essays on why they should be chosen as the official 2009-2010 Teacher of the Year, which are featured in the teacher’s lounge, as said on the morning announcements.
“I feel very honored to have been chosen as a finalist for teacher of the year,” said Mr. Ricker. “[Mrs. Berger and Mrs. Bulva] are outstanding teachers and I consider myself fortunate to be included with them for consideration as Teacher of the Year. It has been a great experience and I’m thankful for the opprotunity to have participated in the process.”
Someone who is Teacher of the Year should be a person who loves the students and Francis Howell Central just as much as they love their content. They should be someone who can back that passion up with quality. It takes a dedication and drive to do whatever it takes to make a positive impact on each student – their learning and their life, according to Mrs. Bulva.
“All I’ve heard about Teacher of the Year is that Mr. Ricker is in the finalists,” said junior David Lanza. “I believe he’ll win. He’s a great teacher and his stories are always so captivating.”
Currently FHC is creating a wall for past, present, and future Teacher of the Year winners. This will be located outside of room 2.
“I think that it takes really caring about students and their achievement [to be Teacher of the Year]. I really want my students to do well. I do not allow sleeping or not paying attention,” said Mrs. Berger. “It is difficult for teenagers to understand, but the choices that you make now will affect the rest of your life. Slacking off right now may result in a rejection from the college that you really wanted to go to. I want my students to have the best future possible for them.“
Teacher of the Year nominations were anonymous and all teachers were eligible to be nominated. In order to nominate someone, a teacher of the department, another teacher, and a student, had to sign off on it.
“I think a lot of other teachers probably deserved the nomination, but I’ve never had the other two nominees as teachers,” said Lanza. “I think Ricker will win. He’s a great teacher, he knows what he’s talking about, and he has a masters in history.”
Teacher of the Year is a nomination on teacher achievement and a teacher’s love for his/her students. There are videos and biographies that are available for the faculty and staff to use to make their final votes on this year’s Teacher of the Year.
