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Home > Blogs > Hamilton Schools News and Issues > Archives > 2010 > October > 14 > Entry
Five teachers up for Educator of the Year
Five local educators have been named finalists for Educator of the Year in the eighth annual Harry T. Wilks “Hamilton Celebrates Education” recognition sponsored by the Hamilton Community Foundation.
The dinner and awards program is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 21, at the Courtyard by Marriott hotel in downtown Hamilton.
The Educator of the Year will receive a $3,000 honorarium for the school, and each of the other four finalists will receive a $500 honorarium.
The five finalists were selected by a committee from among 17 educators in Hamilton nominated by various public and private schools:
Karen Blackmon is known as a “teacher’s teacher” whose great relationships with her students extend beyond the classroom, beyond the school day, beyond their elementary school careers. Now at Crawford Woods after more than two decades at Van Buren Elementary, she creates a classroom environment that makes students active participants in their learning efforts. She transforms reading into performance art. She has hosted Grandparents Day, poetry jams, cultural fairs, and student productions that encourage families to come into the school to see their children’s success. Her eagerly anticipated annual “Game Day” engages students in the creation of a personal board game with a pizza box as the base that other classes then enjoy playing. She has spent a career making a difference while getting students to believe in themselves and do their best.
Carol Christian, fifth and sixth grade science teacher, Fillmore/Highland elementaries.
Carol Christian orchestrated the memorable closing ceremony at Fillmore Elementary, but after 30 years in the Hamilton City Schools, she continues to offer her science expertise at brand new Highland Elementary. While Christian might prefer to stay in the background, her skills simply won’t let her. She is a two-time nominee for the prestigious “Outstanding Advocate for Children and Families in Butler County.” Her students constantly excel at the annual citywide Science Fair. She, in fact, co-wrote the Science Fair Binder for elementary grades 4-6. Her Kidz-N-Character after-school drama program stresses Character Assets. She is a longtime member of City of Hamilton Tree Board and has initiated a five-year program to plant native-Ohio trees at the new school sites. Carol Christian is all about “What’s Best for Kids.”
Terry Haynes-Toney, visual arts instructor, Ridgeway Elementary.
“Inspirational” is the word for Terry Haynes-Toney, in her 20th year of teaching visual arts in the Hamilton City Schools and a National Board certified teacher. She is well respected for creating a supportive atmosphere in which students can take risks, and lose their fear of doing it “wrong.” Her exuberance for teaching is contagious, her energy tireless, and her creativity endless. When Ridgeway opened, it was Terry Haynes-Toney who led her colleagues and students on the adventure of a new building, giving the new school soul. She was at the forefront of the school’s “Fill That Bus” project last year and has frequently brought Astronomy Nights to her school. She brings a great joy to teaching that rubs off on all those around her. She has the gift of making students and colleagues feel like they’re at the heart of things, and not on the periphery.
Amy Nusky, seventh grade teacher, St. Ann Elementary.
Amy Nusky has been a mainstay at St. Ann Elementary for more than 20 years, and has a passion for treating her students like they are her own children. “She never makes me feel as though I am putting her out,’’ said one student. Added another, “She makes me feel important and special.” Students enjoy being a part of her “Wax Museum of Scientists” during Open House, coming alive when someone presses the “button” that gets them started; and staging a mock trial involving the killing in the book, “The Outsiders.” Parents come in to serve as the jury, and each year the verdict is uncertain until the jury votes! She has taught American Sign Language in after-school enrichment programs and recently helped re-design St. Ann’s school brochure. She is very active in her church community and has established a new youth music ministry. She is known for being helpful, supportive, and always putting her students’ needs first.
Kristin Yordy, seventh grade science teacher, Wilson Middle School.
Students may come into Kristin Yordy’s classroom hoping to avoid science, but often by the time they leave, they have a love of the subject. That’s because of her ability to make connections with her students. “I teach the way I learned,’’ Yordy says. “I learn by making connections, and I share those connections, from my thought processes, with my students. Science and thinking are about making learning connections.” Learning is visible in her classroom. Her goal is to have students who are “self-learners,” students who will want to solve problems, test their own hypotheses, and find their own answers. She is the inspirational leader of the most effective team teaching group in the building, and has added a quarterly Character Luncheon to bring students together. The world is her classroom; the environment and current events critical jumping off points for her lessons. Her connections with her students are lasting, meaningful and memorable.
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