|
|
Joy
Bowman's first year
of teaching
presented
her with
a unexpected
realization
through
an unusual
discussion...two of her young kindergarten
students
were overheard debating
whether
Jesus had black skin.
As Joy
replayed
this conversation
in her mind she came
to the
realization "that young children
are aware
of race, skin color and ethnicity.
...whether
I talked about it or not,
the students
would talk about it somewhere.
...they
would talk about the issues
of race."
In
her own
words,
what followed
was a choice
to give
her students
"opportunities
to discuss
issues
of race
in a safe
environment
where all
children
are respected,
valued,
and represented
through
a powerful,
natural
and authentic
method
of teaching:
quality
children's
literature."
Joy's search
for quality
multicultural
literature
led her
to take
a graduate
literature
course
at the
recommendation
of a former
professor,
thus
gaining
a further
appreciation
of literature's
important
place in
the classroom.
Her insiteful
book selections
represent
the ethniticities
of all
her students,
and provide
opportunities
for rich
discussions,
enriching
the students' lives
by exposing
them to
different
perspectives
and social
situations.
Her commitment
to encouraging
her students
to understand
cultural
differences
and similarities
and to
work together
to build
a better
society
continues
to be a
vital part
of her
teaching
style.
Using quality
children's
literature
is an important
step in
that process.
Top of Page |
| 2004
Bonnie
Chambers Award
for Exemplary Beginning Teaching
JOY BOWMAN
Springmill Elementary School
Mansfield, Ohio
|
|
|
In
1984, Charley Hoce was hired
to teach third grade in New
Paris, Ohio. He went to take
a look at his room and became familiar with
the building during the hot,
early days of August
before the majority of teachers were in their rooms getting
ready for the upcoming school
year. On that
first day, Charley met one
of the most influential and
important people in his life—the “teacher
next door” who
was also teaching third grade.
That was well in advance of
a formal Entry Year Program,
but that new teacher, says Charley, became
his informal mentor assisting
with everything he needed to
know to get the school year off to a great start.
A few years later, Charley,
himself, was part of a team
sharing a classroom setting
of multiage students. “The magic of his teaching
was becoming increasingly evident,” writes a colleague, “and
Charley developed characters
with full blown backgrounds
and personalities to assist with the
teaching of scientific concepts. These
characters would visit the classroom,
dressed in complete costumes to compliment
their personalities and teach critical
concepts through visuals, song,
poetry, and storytelling.”
Today, Charley is currently
preparing for the April release
of his first picture book Beyond
Old MacDonald, Funny Poems
from Down on the Farm. He was also featured as the cover
story for the March 2004 Teaching
PreK-8 magazine, mentors entry
year
teachers, continues to do author
visits in
elementary schools, and is
preparing to serve as an instructor
with the Ohio Writing Project at Miami University, a position
he thoroughly enjoys.
Top of Page |
Elementary:
Charley Hoce
National Trail Elementary
New Paris, OH |
|
|
When
a student asked Ken Glassmeyer why
he became a teacher,
he responded in this way.
“
I go back to my time as a social
worker in a halfway house.
I began to see so many young men that
had already spent as many hours
behind bars as they had ever
spent sitting in a desk and
learning. It began to occur
to me that these men needed
to be reached at an early age.
When I began to immerse myself
in my clients’ lives, I heard
story after story of an adult
that misled them or ignored
them right into the “thug” life.
After several sad incidents,
I decided I would be more effective
changing lives at an earlier
age. I did some deep thinking
and realized the middle school
years were my toughest and,
had I not had one or two very important teachers,
I could have just as easily
been on the other side of the
desk in these counseling
sessions. That is when I decided
to go back to school to become
a teacher.”
Not only is Ken Glassmeyer
an integral part of the Mt.
Healthy North Middle School, he also teaches
workshops on school violence
and literacy to both teachers and administrators,
sharing his classroom expertise
and proactive instructional tactics
as a means to reach reluctant
readers in the classroom. Ken’s
principal writes, “Ken
promotes engagement through
active participation, and he makes the
most difficult content comprehensible
by building on students’ backgrounds.
He encourages his students to think critically
and creatively” and “if you have a problem,” says
Jamil Daniels, Ken’s student, “you
can have a one-on-one talk
with him. He cares.”
Top of Page |
Middle
School:
Ken Glassmeyer
Mt. Healthy North Middle School
Mt. Healthy, OH |
|
|
“
I became a teacher of literature
and composition primarily because
I love to read,” states Brittany
Ballard. “I
have my mother to thank for
that.”
“The best English teacher I’ve ever known,
the one who inspires me with commitment
and creativity, the one
who challenges me to do more
daily, is my neighbor Brittany,” writes
one of Brittany’s
colleagues. “Every September, her now-famous cliché lesson
drifts in from across the
hall. While other teachers
spend the first week handing
out books and syllabi, Brittany immediately immerses
her students in language and
writing.”
Of herself, Brittany says, “Once students are immersed,
you can get them in a ‘writing state of mind.’” Equal
to her gifts as a writing teacher
are her abilities to make literature real for her students.
As Tom
Romano notes, “One of [Brittany’s] greatest
strengths is enabling students
to put on the ‘gender’ lens as they
read. She helps even the most
resistant students re-examine
the role of female characters
in literature. She won’t
let students get away with
stereotypes.”
Brittany wants her students
to be “reading like a writer and writing like a
reader.” She models the process, “sharing
her own writing and writing
struggles with her students.” Her classroom exudes
an enthusiastic love of language
in all its forms. She is the
master of managed chaos, has
co-taught at the Ohio Writing
Project, has been read on the
NPR program Women Writing for Change, and has trained
as a marathon runner.
Top of Page |
Secondary:
(Tie)
Brittany Ballard
Wyoming High School
Wyoming, Ohio |
|
|
A
former student describes
Sheila Cantlebary in this
way: “It
was clear from the moment Mrs.
Cantlebary introduced
herself she was no ordinary
teacher. She was my very first
teacher, ever, to actually
require me to apply myself.
Today, I work in the office
of U.S. Senator George Voinovich as Coalition Outreach
Director, and I wonder if I
would be somewhere else in
life without Mrs. Cantlebary’s
influence. She planted
a seed of confidence in me
that allowed me to believe that I might have what it
takes to make it as a writer.”
During the 35 years Sheila
Cantlebary has taught in the
Columbus Public Schools, she
has served in a variety of
positions—from serving
on state writing teams to presenting
professional development seminars.
As a language arts curriculum
coordinator, Sheila “inspired other educators to
attempt the new and innovative
in their classrooms and
made the concerted effort to
involve novice teachers in
professional activities.” Her dedication to urban
students was demonstrated
two years ago when realizing
she would be retiring as a
curriculum coordinator with
35 years of service in 2005,
she chose to return to the
classroom to end her career the way it
began—serving students
in the public schools of Columbus.
Only a dedicated, sensitive,
understanding and compassionate
teacher would make this type of commitment at this point
in her career.
Each day, she can be found
working diligently to educate
as well as encourage students
to make the most of their time
in school. Sheila works with
the credit recovery program
and actively promotes proficiency
seminars and college
preparatory courses for her
students. Of herself, Sheila writes, “Every
aspect of my teaching
improved when I made a conscious
effort to form a positive relationship
with each student...and one
of my greatest joys is still matching readers with just
the right book.”
Top of Page |
Secondary:
Sheila Cantlebary
South High School
Urban Academy
Columbus, Ohio |
| |
“
Teaching is NOT my job,” says Cindy Bowman. “It
is my life.” And, as one of Cindy’s students
states, “We know when
Dr. C is passionate about an
issue—for her presence fills the room.” Into
each of our lives, there often
comes a person whose impact
is powerful and whose spirit
is infectious. Well,
let’s
see, there’s Cindy Crawford and Cindy Lauper,
Cynthia Rylant and Cynthia
Haynes, Cynthia Nixon and Cynthia
Voigt, and even Sarah
Cynthia Sylvia Stout, whom
we adore even if she didn’t take the garbage out!
But then we have our
OWN Cynthia whose name in Greek
means moon goddess synonymous
with the illumination of beautiful things
at night.
Now most of us take the moon
for granted, rarely looking
up to watch its nightly changes
in position. But when
we’re talking about Cynthia
Bowman, no one dare take her
for granted. When we think
of Cindy Bowman, we see her
in continual movement—like
that ancient Greek goddess—resourceful, untiring,
energetic, and compassionate.
She’s like that woman in the moon whose
light illumines the darkness
and whose personal magnetism
draws us in to inspire and
enlighten. Like those “other” Cynthias, Cindy
Bowman’s
impact is felt far beyond the
borders of Ohio. Her books,
her scholarly research, her
awards, her leadership at the state, national,
and international levels speak “eloquently of others’ perceptions
of her professional status.
She spans the full range of what an ideal
educator should be.”
Of herself, Cindy says that
it’s difficult to explain to others why an intelligent,
caring, and motivated
person chooses to become a
teacher. The answer, she says, “lies
in the heart and soul,
in the eyes of each student
whose life I touch, in the
smile of a grateful parent, and even on the pages of the
papers
I grade.” Cindy Bowman—an indomitable and
tenacious spirit.
Top of Page |
College:
Cynthia Bowman
Ashland University
Columbus, Ohio |
|
