The Durant School District’s Teachers of the Year for each campus were recognized last week during a meeting of the Durant Board of Education.
They are: Eva Burgess, REL Early Childhood Center; Natalie Cox, Washington Irving; Pamela Couch, Intermediate School; Heather Smiley, George Washington; Taylor Williams, Middle School; Kasey Bennett, Northwest Heights, and Shannon Gaines, High School.
Superintendent Mark Moring said he becomes excited when teachers are honored and he read some thoughts that he had previously written down.
“Sometimes, we feel like we’re under the gun and everybody is always critical of the teachers, but the teachers that we have in our district are absolutely phenomenal of putting themselves second behind everyone else and that’s sometimes a struggle of the job in itself,” Moring said.
“These educators represent the very best of what teaching is all about. They represent passion, they represent dedication and not just a commitment, but a relentless commitment to the success of their students. We all got into this for a reason and that’s to make a difference in our students’ lives.”
Moring said teachers show that dreams are possible and that they shape minds and build futures with every lesson with words of encouragement. The superintendent said patience is absolutely important to being a successful teacher because not every child is going to understand the first, second or third time.
“You make a profound difference in the lives of our youth,” Moring said. “Teachers ignite the spark of curiosity. They inspire creativity and they instill values that guide us throughout our lives.
“The impact you make goes beyond classrooms. You’re influencing families, communities and the world. Each one of you in here, not just the site teacher of the year, but everyone in here when you went to school, you can think of somebody that influenced your lives and you guys are in here representing your sites, you can think of somebody that influenced your life to be a teacher. It wasn’t a Chrome book, it wasn’t a computer screen, it wasn’t a book. It was that teacher that was influencing you to read that book or take that next step in your life or to be brave.
“It’s that teacher that encouraged you to get rid of anxiety in your life and to be daring and to push you to your limits and that’s why we’re here and that’s why we celebrate teachers.”
Moring thanked the teachers and said they represent the school district’s heart.
“Without you, they’re wouldn’t be a school,” Moring said. “Everybody in our school has a role to play and every single person, from part-time support staff to the teachers that have been there for 40 years, have a role to play in the education of our students. You guys are of the utmost importance right now and we want to honor you and the sacrifice that you’ve made. We want to honor the sacrifi ces your families have made too because it’s a lot.”
Moring spoke of the late nights teachers spend grading papers and working weekends.
“It’s a lot of bringing the problems home to your family that have gone on during the day,” Moring said. “When people talk about, you get spring break off and Christmas off and Thanksgiving off and all of this stuff, they don’t realize how emotionally draining it is also when you pour out your absolute self into everything.”
Moring recognized sponsors Sodexo and Dr. Pepper. The teacher of the year from each campus received $225 from Sodexo and Dr. Pepper provides each of the teachers with a backpack of items donated from the company.
Dr. Pepper will award the district teacher of the year, that will be announced in January, with a $1,000 prize. Durant Schools also presents each teacher of the year with $100 and the districtwide teacher of the year will receive an additional $1,000.
The total sponsorship amount for the program is $5,000, according to Moring.
“We are very appreciative of our teacher of the year sponsors for that,” Moring said. “That is absolutely phenomenal.”
Videos were then shown of all of the teachers and school board President Jason Manous congratulated them.
Board Vice President Paul Buntz said, “Just seeing the video, it’s very inspiring. It makes me glad to be part of the school board.”
Board member and retired educator Janie Umsted said seeing the videos made her want to return to the classroom.
Board member Joyce Northcutt, also a retired educator, said the board is thankful for every teacher in the district.
“We are so blessed that we have you,” Northcutt said. “You know, you’re in a hard profession and we just appreciate you so much and you probably think that we don’t talk about you, but every meeting, we’re talking about you and how blessed we are. I thank you so much for what you do for our school and for our children.”
Board member Chaz Polk spoke about how Moring said there is always a teacher or coach that changed someone’s life.
“On that video, there was one that my kid looks up to and seeing that there’s so many other good educators out there that I get to know tonight, or get to talk to a little bit, that other people are going to have that same experience that my kids did,” Polk said. “So, thank you all.”
