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What distinguishes an outstanding teacher? Is it their love for learning, their diligence or knowledge, creativity or charisma? Or all of the above? These four outstanding teachers demonstrate hard work, dedication, encouragement, and compassion. Through their love of teaching, they encourage their students to pursue their passions and guide them along the path to build a strong future.
THALIA BURD, CHOIR DIRECTOR, ERIE HIGH SCHOOL
I teach because... “I want to make a positive difference in the lives of young humans, to enable them to be lifelong musicians, and to be more empathetic, contributing members of society.”
“I was inspired by my own experience, I truly wanted to become a performer,” recalls Thalia. But the more she performed, the more she realized that the “teaching aspect of it was much more energizing—that’s what I wanted to spend my energy and time on.” Before becoming a teacher, Thalia always had a passion for music and working with kids. Throughout her young adult life, she always found ways to put the two together. “I worked in children’s theater, and I taught private voice and piano lessons throughout college.” But it wasn’t until her senior year in college that Thalia figured out what her true passion would be – to become a music teacher.
When you speak to Thalia about music, her genuine love for music comes to life. You see her face light up, and you can’t help but to feel her joy. For Thalia, it is hard for her not to love her job. “Choir has always had a special place in my heart,” she recalls, “I participated in the Colorado All State Choir when I was in high school, and seeing the passion that exists amongst other choir students – that was inspiring.”
If you ask her today what her favorite part of her job is, there is no hesitation from her, “it’s when I see the final product come together, the concerts our choir puts together, the little day to day moments, when a student gets their solfège on sight singing, or when they nail that one tricky part of the song, those are my ‘aha’ moments – those are the moments that truly bring joy to me.”
Thalia’s hope for her students is that they continue to become lifelong musicians, whether some may go on and study music, “I just want them to continue to experience that art form throughout their lives – my hope is that I was able to touch someone’s life, knowing that I had an impact on them for the better makes it worthwhile, even on those tough days.”
CLAYTON WITTROCK, 8TH GRADE LANGUAGE ARTS, TRAIL RIDGE MIDDLE SCHOOL
I teach because... “It’s where I have the opportunity every day to impact someone in a way that can help them the rest of their lives, even if it’s one nugget.”
“I knew at some point in my life I would become a teacher, I always liked working with kids, being there to help guide them,” recalls Clay. Not long after this realization, he had the opportunity to become a high school teacher. “Something has always drawn me to the leadership role, and the confidence and willingness to guide others to learn more and see new things.”
With over 10 years of teaching, Clay continues to have the same mindset as to why he became a teacher. “Those moments when I can share my true honest passion with my students, the love I have for reading and writing – I would say that’s my favorite part of being a teacher.” When you have a moment to spend time with Clay in his classroom, getting to know him, you can clearly see that his passion for teaching continues to grow as the years go by. The most rewarding part of being a middle school teacher for Clay is when his past students come back and visit. “They tell me stories of what they learned when they were in my class. You may not realize at that moment that you’re doing something for them that will pay off later – you contribute in making them successful – that to me is truly amazing.”
If you ask Clay what gets him excited about his work, with no hesitation, he will say it’s when he is around his students. “I feel very at home with them, their energy, their curiosity, that is something that we as adults can lose track of. We can lose a little bit of that fire, but when we are around students, we get those little sparks back – it’s being able to create those relationships with them.”
Clay hopes that his students realize that part of being successful is having the energy to be successful. “I try to bring that energy to them every day, I want my students to be proud and confident in themselves. I want them to have a mind of their own, for them to walk away being thinkers, paying attention to the little things and enjoying the little things – if anybody is going to show them something that is going to help them in their life, I want to be that person.”
LISA MERCIER, 1ST GRADE TEACHER, BLACK ROCK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
I teach because... “I get to be part of something that is really important. Kids are amazing, smart, resilient, and kind and I love being part of that. I can’t imagine anything else that would bring me this much joy.”
“I went to college to study law, but I wasn’t enjoying it, and I couldn’t figure out why I wasn’t happy,” recalls Lisa. “One day when I was out jogging, I passed by a park where kids were playing; at that moment I realized how much I missed kids – everything I had previously done involved kids. I wanted to become a teacher,” she recalls. Soon after that, Lisa moved back to Wyoming, enrolled herself in the education program and the rest was history. Now with over 20 years as an educator, Lisa is more convinced than ever that this was and is what she was meant to do.
When you spend time with Lisa, you can feel the compassion she has for her students, her love for teaching, and the joy that comes from her doing what she loves to do most. “Watching kids collaborate with each other, seeing the energy they have, that really keeps me excited in what I do.” Lisa always finds different ways to be creative in her teaching and tries to do things that show her students what they know. “It’s easy for us as teachers to sometimes feel bogged down, but the second I see my students’ faces, they really put things into perspective. That’s what I love about my job.”
The most rewarding part for Lisa is when she is part of the special moments when something clicks for her students, “it’s almost like I can actually see a true lightbulb going off, or the little things – for example, a student that held up a handmade heart that read ‘I love you Mrs. Mercier’, that’s rewarding, knowing that someone took the time to create something for you – that you matter and that you’re making a difference.”
For Lisa, being a teacher is a really admirable profession. “I love watching first year teachers, the passion and energy that they bring.” Her advice to new teachers is that “I want them to hold on to that initial feeling that you can make a difference because you can and you are, and when you feel that you’re not, step back and try to remember some of that feeling.” Her hope for her students is that she can have a positive impact on them. “I want them to know that they are cared about and that they matter – I hope that I have been able to make kids feel good and important more than anything else.”
NATE WILCOX, ROBOTICS AND TECHNOLOGY TEACHER, INNOVATION CENTER OF ST. VRAIN VALLEY SCHOOLS
I teach because... “I want students to have a teacher tell them the ‘why’, that will listen to their ‘why’, not judge them for their ‘why’, but will try to teach that ‘why’ and help them make the connection to what they are learning and give them hope for the future.”
“I knew I wanted to work with people. I wanted to do something that had a deeper impact in the community, and teaching was always a top idea about what I wanted to do,” recalls Nate. This school year marks Nate’s eighth year as an educator.
“I came into education with a really backwards approach,” recalls Nate. “I remember my high school teacher telling me that I was just like him in the aspect that I loved to learn but I didn’t like to work hard. He assured me that would change.” When you speak with Nate, you feel his energy, the enthusiasm he has for teaching.
He has always had that deep curiosity, a fascination on how things work, and being a teacher has given him that opportunity to keep learning, and to keep growing. “I fell in naturally with STEM, there are always new problems to solve every day – there is no monotony in STEM, that’s what makes it so interesting.” As a Robotics and Technology Teacher, Nate has the opportunity to work with high school students, “seeing students grow as people is definitely the most rewarding part of my job, to be able to be part of that growth, that is really fun.”
Nate firmly believes that every student has their own story; “I always want to treat them for who they are, where they’ve been, what they’ve been through, what knowledge and skills they have acquired so far, where their character is so far, and treat each individual specifically to lead and guide them towards growth.”
He hopes that his students will know how much he cares for them, and that they leave his classes encouraged and continue to grow. “I want my students to have an exposure in every content area that I teach, with the hope that they find passion in these areas, hoping they make connections – I want to help them see what’s possible.”
