Teacher of the Year
Michael Geisen, an Oregon middle school teacher and a former forester, was named the 2008 National Teacher of the Year last week at the White House.
Mr. Geisen, 35, who began teaching at Crook County Middle School, in Prineville, Ore., seven years ago, was recognized for his efforts to foster an interest in science and biology in his students.
“[Mr. Geisen has] found innovative ways to use his innate humor and creativity to encourage students to take science seriously,” President Bush said during a Rose Garden ceremony held to present the award.
Over the next year, Mr. Geisen will travel the country to speak on teaching and learning.
The state teachers of the year at the White House event, Mr. Geisen said, all appreciate that “children are fully human beings. They’re not conglomerations of hormones, they’re not animals to be trained, they’re not numbers to be measured or future commodities to produce. They are our equals. They’re the here and now. And they are beautiful.”
The National Teacher of the Year Program was started by the Council of Chief State School Officers in 1952 and is sponsored by ING Group, an Amsterdam-based financial-services company.
