Sioux Falls, SD (KELO AM) - Gretchen Johnson, K-5th Grade Physical Education teacher at Cleveland Elementary School, was announced earlier this evening as the 2015 Dr. John W. Harris Teacher of the Year. Gretchen has been a teacher in the Sioux Falls School District at Cleveland Elementary for 8 years.
The Sioux Falls School District and Vern Eide Motorcars co-sponsor the annual Teacher of the Year award and made the announcement Monday night. Vern Eide Motorcars has been providing a financial award for the winner annually since 1989. This year, Bruce Eide generously presented Ms. Johnson with a check for $4,000.
Criteria for selection of the Teacher of the Year include:
· commitment to lifelong learning
· Effectiveness in meeting students' needs
· Impact on student achievement
· Effectiveness of home-school cooperation
· Community involvement to promote school-community relations
Coworkers describe Gretchen as thinking about the whole child: “At Cleveland, some of our students come to us without the proper social skills for following directions, relating to peers, or staying on task,” one coworker says. “Gretchen provides for our students who struggle emotionally with a stretch break in her gym and supports the classroom teacher with the student reward of extra physical education time serving as her helper.” A parent says, “Our four children thoroughly enjoy Ms. Johnson and look forward to her class each week. She has also attended our children’s extra-curricular activities as proof of her interest and involvement in children’s lives. The families at Cleveland are tremendously grateful for her leadership and teaching.” Another teacher says, “Gretchen is a go-getter, problem solver, and dynamic member of the Cleveland community. Her love of students and her passion for motivating them to do their best can be matched by few others.”
There were 36 nominees for Teacher of the Year in 2015, the 27th year of the program.
Other 2015 finalists were: Dar Steenholdt, Career and Technical Education Academy – Intro to Human Services, Personal Services, Guiding Youth and Families; Lynn Marie Thomason, Lincoln High School – Latin I, Latin II, Latin III, Online Course Instructor: Alison TerHorst, Washington High School – 9-12 Psychology and Advanced Placement Psychology; Stephanie Ayers-Haines, George McGovern Middle School – ELL Language Arts; Lennie Davis, Garfield Elementary/Challenge Center – K-5th Grade Music.