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Tony Evers: The name of the teacher who demonstrates excellence in
education each and every day and who is the 2012 Wisconsin High School
Teacher of the Year, JoAnn Miller.
[ Applause and Cheering ]
- Success doesn't happen in a vacuum.
I don't -- this doesn't happen just because of me.
It happens because of all of the students that I had and
all of the students that I have.
- What’s one or two things you feel that have really worked for you
as far as engaging students?
- I think caring about them. - Um-hum.
- And letting them know that they can be wrong all the time
until it comes to the test. - Yeah.
- That I like the wrong answers. - Yeah.
- I think that puts them at ease.
I didn't plan on being a teacher, but I was brought up to be a teacher
because my parents -- I was constantly being taught how to be a teacher
just by being out in the woods, or my mom would take us to factories
to see how stuff was being built.
Or we would take day trips to -- I remember one of my favorite ones
was Rippin’ Good Cookies, and we got to see how cookies were made.
And then, really, I think the most -- other important thing
besides my knowledge -- - Um-hum.
- -- is just classroom management. I have procedures for everything.
- Yeah. - They know what they're supposed
to do, so there’s never -- there’s
controlled chaos when I need it to be. - Yeah.
- Because it’s a very open classroom. But everything has a
way of being done -- - Yeah.
- -- in the classroom, so there’s never a question about, can I go and
sharpen my pencil, can I go and do this. - Yeah.
- Or how do I get that? - Yeah.
- That’s all taken care of at the beginning of the year.
- Yeah. Those things are -- waste time. - Right. Right.
- [During the day]. - I mean, it takes time to
teach those procedures --
- Right. - -- right at the beginning of the year.
But it’s time well invested. - Yeah.
- Because, through the rest of the year, there’s never a question.
- It just happens. - It just happens.
- Yeah. - And it’s not a rule, and there’s no --
if you don't do the procedure right, we just do it the right way, then.
- Do it the right way. - You know, there’s no big
consequences for it. - Cool.
- It’s just, that’s how we do it. And they police each other.
I want to thank the district and the administration for always supporting
all of the crazy ideas that I have because they turn out good.
Some of them don't. I just don't tell you about those [laughter].
But, you know, one of the most important things is the
conversations that I have with all of the other teachers in the school.
And in particular, Candi Behnke is somebody that -- having a collegiate
and a best friend to go through, like, national board and go through
my master’s degree, I hope everyone finds somebody that you have this
synergistic relationship to push you beyond where you ever
think you could be.
- Here's the last question. Do you -- pretend you’re talking to a
group of young people that were prospective teachers.
What would you say to them to say, you know, this is --
- This is a bad question to ask. - -- this is the profession for you.
- Do you really want my answer to this? - Yes.
- I would tell them that they better just love teaching because it’s been
really hard for me the last year.
- Yeah. Yeah. It’s been a difficult year for everybody. Yeah.
- I think educators are made through their entire life, and it’s kind of a calling.
It’s what I love doing, so this means a lot to me.
And it’s because of the students that I have. So thank you very much.
[ Applause ]