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Extra Credit... A message from Ohio's 2018 Teacher of the Year
Thank You,
Superheroes, for the Difference You Make in Ohio’s Classrooms
By Jonathan Juravich
A week after I was named the 2018 Ohio Teacher
of the Year, I received a note from an administrator in another part of
the state asking if I really thought I “was the best teacher in Ohio.”
I was taken aback by this question — the answer clearly is no. I am in
no way the best teacher in Ohio or even at my school. But I am
incredibly grateful for the opportunity to advocate for and represent
teachers from all corners of our state. And over the past year, I have
had the opportunity to meet remarkable, inspiring teachers who are
nothing short of superheroes.
My 5-year-old came home from her first week of kindergarten in Columbus
City Schools proclaiming, “Mrs. Coneglio is a superhero without a
cape.” Within those first few days with her teacher, she realized
something very important — this teacher did remarkable things for her
and the rest of her classmates. Mrs. Coneglio was not flashy with a
sparkling uniform and a flowing cape. She did not have a mask
concealing her identity. Instead, she was an everyday person with the
extraordinary ability to build connections and bring her students into
a state of awe.
During this season of thanks, I want to take the opportunity to thank
the remarkable teachers across Ohio who give of themselves every day
for their students and communities. These teachers believe in the power
of their students as individuals. And for that, I am truly grateful.
I am thankful for teachers like Veronica Cotton, a third-grade teacher
at John P. Parker Elementary in Cincinnati Public Schools, who welcomed
me into her classroom with open arms. I watched her validate and then
integrate her students’ unique experiences into their learning during
Language Arts and Science. Thank you, Veronica, for reminding me, and
all of us, that our students’ individual contexts fundamentally
influence their learning.
Thank you, Dillon Sedar, art teacher at Munroe Elementary with
Tallmadge City Schools. His students bring in works of art they create
at home to trade with him. He proudly takes their masterpieces and
gives them a piece of his own artwork. This connection validates their
role as individual artists. Thank you, Dillon, for challenging and
valuing your students’ individual voices and creative spirits.
I am grateful for the infectious positivity spread by Jen Savage, a
teacher of the deaf at Windermere Elementary in Upper Arlington. In
small, purposeful ways, she works tirelessly to make sure her students
and their families are taken care of and well represented. Thank you,
Jen, for all you do to make learning accessible to all students.
Thanks, Arthur Lard. Arthur is a business teacher at Portsmouth High
School. He teaches financial literacy, educating his students about the
economic risks that could profoundly impact their lives. He encourages
them to be patient and take time to find their own answers instead of
relying on teacher-driven decisions and solutions. Thank you, Arthur,
for empowering your students as they consider their futures.
Many thanks to Bre Sambuchino of Loveland High School. Bre models
selflessness for her students through community service-oriented
instruction. The Day of Service she organizes for her high school
students gets them into the community to make a very real difference
for others. Students attach notes of love and affirmation they have
written to coats they donate to a local center. Thank you, Bre, for
inspiring the future leaders, teachers and citizens of our world with
kindness and empathy.
To this small handful of educators and the countless others across
Ohio, I say, thank you. Thank you for your leadership, your voice and
your dedication to your students…our future. Though you might not wear
a cape to school each day, know that those young eyes looking back at
you see you in a theatrical way. They envision you in a stance of
strength and power, with the wind in your hair and lights shining
behind you. To those students. Your students. YOU are a superhero.
Jonathan Juravich is the 2018 Ohio Teacher of the Year. For the
2018-2019 school year, Jonathan is taking a sabbatical from his
position as an elementary art teacher at Olentangy Local Schools to
serve as the Department’s teacher-in-residence.
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