Each school within the state of Delaware was allowed one submission chosen by the English department chairperson. Each nomination was then carefully reviewed by the Prestwick House Delaware Teacher of the Year Committee, and three finalists were selected.
All of the nominees we reviewed were outstanding and should be proud to be deemed worthy of recognition by their department chairperson. While it was a difficult choice to make, these three finalists best represent the exemplary teaching that goes on every day in the state of Delaware. I congratulate them for their selection and thank them all on behalf of Prestwick House for their continued dedication in their classrooms.
These outstanding educators, both innovative and effective in their classrooms, stand as role models for other teachers in the Delaware community.
"All of the nominees we reviewed were outstanding and should be proud to be deemed worthy of recognition by their department chairperson," remarked General Manager Keith Bergstrom. "While it was a difficult choice to make, these three finalists best represent the exemplary teaching that goes on every day in the state of Delaware. I congratulate them for their selection and thank them all on behalf of Prestwick House for their continued dedication in their classrooms."
Among her many roles, Kristen Zerbe is the advisor of the creative writing program at Dickinson High School and has had more than 20 of her students' works appear in national publications. She is also responsible for orchestrating an Advanced Placement Literature and Composition class; her students now account for the majority of Dickinson's successful AP exam scores. Outside of her classroom, Ms Zerbe can be found participating in virtually every school-sponsored event, encouraging her students to give back to a worthy cause and leading by example.
Harry Brake, a secondary English teacher at Seaford High School, has worked very hard to tie art and technology into classroom curriculum, securing various grants to fund opportunities like educational field trips for his students. Mr. Brake is also heavily involved as an advisor for a variety of student organizations, including Relay for Life and Key Club. He is both the founder and advisor of Seaford's PAVE club (Peers Actively Volunteering and Educating). In addition to his work at Seaford High School, Mr. Brake is also well known because of his speaking engagements at conferences, such as the National Council for Teachers of English Convention, the National Writing Center Conference, and the Bloomsburg University Reading Conference.
Jennifer Bower, a teacher who specializes in media and writing, has served as the Language Arts Department chair at Seaford Middle School for the past six years. An advocate for the Learning-Focused Solutions Initiative, Mrs. Bower has used her skills to effectively address varied learning styles in her classroom through the use of technology, art, and language. Mrs. Bowers is also an active member of the school leadership team, a member of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, the Diamond State Reading Association, the National Association of Secondary School Principals, and the Seaford Education Association.
The winner of the Delaware English Teacher of the Year Award will be announced on Wednesday, July 21, 2010, during the Prestwick House-sponsored Teacher Appreciation Night at the Delaware Shakespeare Festival.
"Through reviewing nominations, we have gained an even greater appreciation for the amount of talent and dedication that Delaware teachers bring to our schools each year" says CEO Jason Scott. "These outstanding educators, both innovative and effective in their classrooms, stand as role models for other teachers in the Delaware community."
Along with recognition for their efforts in conjunction with the Shakespeare Festival performance of Shakespeare's Macbeth and a plaque commemorating their achievements, the winning teacher will also receive a new Apple iPad fully loaded with Prestwick House digital teaching materials. All finalists will be featured on the Prestwick House website, blog, and in the Footnotes monthly email newsletter.
About Prestwick House - Founded in 1983 by a former Dover High School administrator, Prestwick House is a leader in educational publishing. With a focus on helping English teachers in grades 9-12, Prestwick House publishes the largest selection of literature teaching guides in the country, a line of classic novels, and hundreds of other educational products. Find out more at www.prestwickhouse.com.
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If you’d like more information about this topic or to schedule an interview, please call Keith Bergstrom at 302/659-2070 ext 131 or e-mail Keith at keith@prestwickhouse.com
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