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Education's Elite
By Times staff writer The 2003 Teachers of the Year will be recognized and honored at a special dinner Monday. At that time the Citrus County Teacher of the Year will be announced. The following teachers were selected at their schools. Here they describe their favorite parts of the day and why they thought they were selected as Teachers of the Year. Lisa Sperry, 36, is an exceptional education teacher for English and learning strategies at Citrus High School. She has been there for seven years. She enjoys experiencing the students' successes with them and the smile she receives from students and fellow educators who make her feel she has done her job well. She said, "I believe that the faculty and staff at CHS want to learn information and strategies for helping students be successful in their classes. I make an effort to give them this information; it makes their often stressful job just a tiny bit easier. I also make sure I am approachable for any questions they may have about a student." Rebecca O'Connell, 48, is a kindergarten teacher at Inverness Primary School. She has been at IPS for 16 years. Her favorite part of the day, she said, is "the minute the kindergarteners walk in the room. A quiet, cold space becomes immediately filled with the excitement of a new day, full of voices, boo-boos, laughter and learning." She said, "I hope I was chosen by my peers because of what I reflect of Inverness Primary and of teaching. I try to work at listening, learning and teaching every day, whether working with students or peers. I stay actively involved in school and community and work to encourage others to do the same. I am honored and humbled to represent the positive things about teaching." Mark Algeo, 50, is a speech/language pathologist at Inverness Middle School. He has been there eight years. He enjoys "seeing that look on a student's face when he/she succeeds at a task for the first time. He said, "I have tried to bring all my talents to bear, not just in my role as a speech pathologist. I look at different things going on at IMS and try to make it better, regardless of whose job description is responsible. If I can help, I will. Charlotte Myer, 55, is the library media and technology specialist at Pleasant Grove Elementary School. She is in her fourth year at PGE. She says the favorite part of her job is "the opportunity to introduce children to the skills they need to access and use information." She said, "I think my school family selected me to represent them because I demonstrate and serve as an example of the commitment that each of them brings to Pleasant Grove Elementary." Christopher Bosse, 33, is a first/second grade teacher at Floral City Elementary School. He is in his 10th year there. He says, "The favorite part of my job is first thing in the morning when the students enter the room. They are so excited about the learning they will do that day. I am inspired every day by their positive outlook and enthusiasm. "I am very fortunate to work at a school filled with amazing and innovative teachers. I believe they selected me because I work hard every day to become a better educator. I learn from each lesson I teach and make modifications to be more effective. That is why I feel they honored me as their teacher of the year." Bill Tovine, 34, covers all academic subjects in an exceptional education classroom at Crystal River High School. He also performs the duties of behavioral specialist within the exceptional education department. He has been at CRHS for seven years. The favorite part of his job, he said, is the students and the people with whom he works. He said, "The teachers I work with have a good understanding of what I teach since much of the time they are working in partnership with me." Bruce Stull, 36, is an eighth grade science teacher at Crystal River Middle School. He has been there for 11 years. He enjoys working with kids in the classroom and in sports. He said, "I think I was chosen at my school for Teacher of the Year because I put in extra time for the kids. I also believe my staff knows I love to teach." Janet Tuggle, 44, is a fourth grade teacher at Forest Ridge Elementary School. She has been there since it opened two years ago. She says her favorite part of her job is watching children learn. She thinks she was selected, she said, because "I love what I do. Teaching is a gift, a joy and a wonderful opportunity to help our children. I believe this feeling shines through me each day. I believe that when teachers love to teach children to succeed, it shows." Kimberly Arnett, 41, is a kindergarten and first grade teacher at Homosassa Elementary School. She has been there for 21 years, 10 of those spent as a teacher's assistant. She says, "My favorite part of teaching is experiencing the joy of watching students filled with enthusiasm as they learn new concepts." She said, "I believe I was selected because of my genuine interest in helping other teachers. I continuously share ideas, offer assistance and take on several leadership roles throughout the school year." Danita Eatman, 33, is a Lecanto High School English II, journalism, mass media, newspaper and yearbook teacher. She has been at LHS for five years. She enjoys watching her students grow and mature and seeing their eyes light up when they grasp a concept. She said, "My colleagues are supportive and understand the magnitude of the programs I am involved with. I try to give as much support to the school as I can." Richard Lovely, 48, is a sixth grade social studies teacher at Lecanto Middle School. He has been at the school for 16 years. He said he enjoys working with his students, helping them work to their full potential. "I'm very active in my school. I serve as coordinator for our after-school program. I relate well with administration, peers, parents and students." Sharon Finley, 57, is a prekindergarten inclusion class teacher at Crystal River Primary School. She has been at CRPS for 10 years. She said her favorite part of the job is, "of course, the children. If you want to brighten your day, just work with 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds." She said, "My colleagues must have felt I was doing all the "right things.' It is truly an honor to have the respect of your peers and I am honored to represent them. I only wish there was a way to honor more of the great teachers we have in our county." Traci Cook, 37, is a kindergarten/first grade teacher at Lecanto Primary School. She has been at LPS for eight years. She says she has a great job where she can go, close her door and have a lot of fun teaching tomorrow's future. She said she thinks she was selected because "I am a very energetic individual who loves to share innovative ideas with peers and make learning interesting for my students." Elaine Bamford, 51, is the Title I math resource teacher at Hernando Elementary School. She has been there three years. The favorite part of her job is dressing up as the school's Math Princess and using skits to get the children excited about math. She said she was elected "to represent all the teachers at Hernando Elementary, working together as a team, dedicated to helping all of the students be successful." Merrilee Roy, 42, is a prevocational middle/high school teacher for students with severe disabilities at CREST. She is in her second year there. The favorite part of her job is chatting and laughing with her students and helping them become better advocates for themselves. She thinks she was selected because of the tremendous effort she puts into her work. Susan Swain, 28, is a first grade teacher at Citrus Springs Elementary School. She has been there for six years. She says she enjoys working with and learning from her students and said she was chosen because, "I am a team player and get along well with both parents and staff members. I love to see my children succeed." Jerri Fischer Conard, 47, is a sixth through eighth grade language arts teacher for gifted students and handles the seventh and eighth grade Falcon News Network at Citrus Springs Middle School. She has been at the school for seven years. She says she enjoys the students in her classes, their delight in learning and the ability they demonstrate in the reading/writing workshop. She said the reason she was selected as teacher of the year was "Luck!! At Citrus Springs Middle School there are many teachers who should win this award. I was chosen by fellow teachers who understand what it takes to make a "good' teacher." Priscilla Positano, 59, is a high school science/social studies, middle school science and exceptional education health teacher at the Renaissance Center. She has been at the school for three years. She says the best part of her day is direct interaction with the students and discussions on news topics. She said, "I have earned the respect of fellow staff through leadership and maintaining my sense of humor." Donna M. Farabaugh, 44, is a second grade teacher at Rock Crusher Elementary School. She has been at RCES for 12 years. The best part of her job, she says, is building a strong, bonding relationship with her students every year. "I know this makes my job of teaching my students much easier when I know them and they trust and believe in me. She said, "I was nominated for this honor by one of my fellow colleagues. She wrote the most beautiful summary of my teachings. She has seen me teach and interact with my students for many years. I have received many compliments from friends, parents and colleagues that have made me feel so lucky to be where I am and doing what I love." Angela Williams, 35, is a high school and secondary adults accounting and computer technology teacher at Withlacoochee Technical Institute. She has been there three years. She says the favorite part of her job is "being able to motivate students to be their very best, watching them develop their skills and their self-confidence and laughing daily with the students." She said, "My students and colleagues know I am genuine when I say I love teaching and I strive to do the very best for my students and my school."
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