 Rockwood
member wins
$25,000 Milken Award
Imagine
a classroom full of high school freshmen and sophomores raising
their hands and jumping at the opportunity to express their
ideas about poet Paul Laurence Dunbar and how his work ties
to music and art today. Leading this classroom is Rockwood
high school language arts teacher Andy Gensler.
A Rockwood
NEA member and only six years into his teaching career, Gensler
is the recipient of the $25,000 Milken Family Foundation National
Educator Award.
“He
is animated and exudes sincere interest in students, and I
think the kids pick up on that,” says Language Arts
Department Chairperson Harry Witt. “They just realize
that he has their best interest at heart, and he meets them
where they are.”
| Milken
National Educator Award
Gensler
is one of two Missouri educators chosen for the award
this year by the Milken Family Foundation and the Department
of Elementary and Secondary Education. The foundation
is based in Santa Monica, CA.
Missouri
joined the Milken Educator Awards program in 1996. Since
1987, the Milken Family Foundation has awarded more
than $54 million to 2,100 outstanding American educators.
Gensler
did not know he was being considered for the award.
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
coordinates the state-level selection process and appoints
an independent panel of educators that recommends candidates
for the award. Criteria for the Milken National Educator
Award include:
-
Exceptional educational talent as evidenced by outstanding
instructional practices in the classroom, school and
profession
-
Outstanding accomplishment and strong long-range potential
for professional and policy leadership
-
Engaging and inspiring presence that motivates and
impacts students, colleagues and the community
For
more information on the National Educator Awards or
other activities of the Milken Family Foundation, visit
www.mff.org/mea. |
Gensler,
who recently submitted his National Board Certification portfolio,
is a leader in his school and his local association. He has
served on curriculum writing committees and the district’s
research paper guide committee and has served on his negotiations
team. He also works with the Student Council and is a member
of the school effectiveness team, which incorporates parents,
community members, students and teachers into the school-improvement
process.
“My
message to first-year teachers is hang in there,” says
Gensler as he tries to explain his enthusiasm for teaching
and how it gets stronger every year. “That first year
is just a killer for anybody. I think people who aren’t
in education have no idea what it takes to be a good teacher.
You have to be open-minded and learn from the veteran teachers,
you have to assess what you do, and you need to find what
works for you. You cannot be somebody else in the classroom.”
Gensler
was chosen by students and faculty as the 2004–05 Eureka
High School Teacher of the Year and won the Rockwood School
District’s Teacher of the Year award.
Story
and photo by Debra
Angstead, MNEA communications director
|
