Award Winning Educators (10-13-08)

What makes an effective school? What is the difference between a mediocre or underperforming school, and one where students truly learn and grow and develop into the educated citizenry we strive for them to become?

The answer to that question is complex. There are as many answers as there are ingredients to a successful meal. Bricks and mortar matter. Students need to feel comfortable, and their school must be watertight and reasonably cooled and heated. Chairs and tables matter. Students need a supportive environment in which to learn. Books and computers and learning materials matter. Especially in this information age, the sponge that is a young developing mind needs constant stimulus for it to soak in all that our times require of our students.

But for any of that to really matter, a school must have one more thing, the most important thing of all: teachers. A school is only as good as its teachers, and excellent schools are filled outstanding men and women who devote their lives to the education of the young.

Today, I will write about one such outstanding, award-winning educator who helps foster in our district a tradition of excellence.

Last week, Thelma Berland, the speech teacher for the entire district, was recognized as the Kansas Speech Teacher of Year. Coincidentally, Mrs. Berland was earlier recognized by local radio station KKQY as their September Teacher of the Month. It was quite an exciting week for this exceptional educator.

As a speech teacher, Mrs. Berland serves by far the widest range of students in our district. She works with students as young as three years of age to seniors in high school. She is one of the pillars of our learning community, providing support services to almost every teacher.

I hesitate to write about just this one teacher because I feel that most of our teachers deserve awards. From our colorful rooms, to the hundreds of amazing projects our students create and complete every day, to assessment scores that rank us among the best in the state, our teachers are all award winning educators. Mrs. Berland would agree that her success is as dependent of the support of those around her as their success is dependent of her.

But this is her week.

Thelma Berland has been an educator for close to thirty years and in that time she has touched the lives of hundreds, perhaps thousands of children and young adults. Her room is packed with the materials, manipulates, files, and teaching aides collected over so many years, and almost everything has been purchased out of her own pocket.

Like so many dedicated teachers, Mrs. Berland takes tremendous pride in both the environment she creates and the services she provides. She is warm and caring, while always practicing professional standards. She is often the first teacher to arrive and the last to leave, and her work takes her through the summer months. In fact, hers was the first room the custodians had to move because she needed her materials and tables ready to go in early June. And the “speech room” was one of the most challenging rooms to prepare in order to accommodate the mountain of supplies she has so lovingly procured over her amazing career.

I have had the pleasure of working with Mrs. Berland each of my three years in district. My first year, I worked with her more in her capacity of the KAYS sponsor and I was impressed right off the bat with her organization and dedication. Then, I got to know Thelma better in the elementary school where she has the bulk of her caseload, and I have found her to be a reliable, knowledgeable, and dedicated professional. She is motivated by a profound love for helping children, and she is never so happy as when she is surrounded by little voices working to improve their pronunciation, diction, fluency, and cadence. She loves her kids and they love her, forming a bond that transcends grade level. Her students eventually become parents and their children eventually become her students, continuing the circle of caring that makes this special teacher such a valuable asset to our school and district.

She isn’t the only one I could be writing about. I am blessed with a faculty that is second to none, and the challenge before me now is find ways to recognize each outstanding individual. Our school is filled with award winning educators, and I ask you to join me in congratulating Mrs. Berland on her historic achievement and congratulating all our teachers on a job well done.