Some of you may remember that this past September, we celebrated Anne Lippincott, our Cherry Brook Primary pre-school teacher, as Canton's 2009 – 2010 “Teacher of the Year.”
I don’t know how long Canton has been awarding this honor (at least for the 14 years I've been here); but at the state level, the Connecticut "Teacher of the Year" began in 1952. The State “TOY,” as these excellent teachers are affectionately called, is selected once a year from among all of the district-level winners. (The application process is quite exhausting, but Canton's "Teacher of the Year" always enters.)Some school districts, however, don’t choose to extend this honor. Perhaps they feel "Teacher of the Year" becomes competitive among staff members, sets one teacher apart, or fails to recognize all the excellent teachers on the staff. Maybe it is political or their teachers shy away from this kind of honor, feeling that all of their colleagues deserve recognition as much as they do. In Canton, however, this program works!
Over the years, our “Teacher of the Year” program has successfully recognized and honored representatives from each school and many differnt disciplines for teacher excellence. The surprise introduction of our TOY at the opening of the school is an exceptionally moving moment and fills everyone with pride – a great way to begin the year! Often we remember our colleague's remarks months later. We believe that our TOY program recognizes the best in teaching from among the many Canton educators who share those same qualities.
We try to select a teacher each year who will speak to the staff at convocation and, for the remainder of the year, serve as a representative of what is best in our profession. We look for a teacher who always puts students first, who inspires a love of learning in them, as well as sets a caring example for others in the school community. We look for a teacher who demonstrates the importance of community by working successfully with students, colleagues, and parents. Our TOY’s are innovative, hard-working, dedicated professionals.
Canton’s “Teacher of the Year” Winners for the last 5 years are:
2005-06 Patrick Allen
2006-07 Tina (Colangelo) Roy
2007-08 Linda Caraher
2008-09 Marsha Jorgensen
2009-10 Anne Lippincott.
You can click on the links above to read more about Linda, Marsha, and Anne.
Nominate a Teacher
You can help us find our next "Teacher of the Year" because the nominations may come from anyone in the community: parents, students, colleagues, and principals. Over the next week or two, we are hoping that you will click on the link below and use the form to nominate a teacher for this honor.
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