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| CCMS science teacher Mike Geisen helps show excellence in instruction
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| Geisen receives the honor of being named as Oregon Teacher of the Year
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 | | | Steve Swisher |
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There are many really good teachers, there are some excellent teachers, and there are a few great teachers. Some of those great teachers work in Crook County and one in particular was just named the Oregon Teacher of the Year last Friday. State School Superintendent Castillo visited Crook County Middle School to honor and present the award to Mike Geisen.
Mike has been a science teacher at Crook County Middle School for the past six years. During this time Mike has emerged to be a truly great teacher. Mike is the first to say; however, that he is only one part of a great Science and teacher team at Crook County Middle School. He indicates that the collaboration, team planning, and focus on student achievement in an environment of caring for and nurturing students is what makes the positive difference.
The science team at Crook County Middle School is a great example of teachers working, over the past four years, to carefully examine student performance information from state assessments. They have used that information to create short cycle assessments based on the curriculum. The team then uses the information learned to adjust their instruction on a regular basis. These adjustments are then based on the students' current learning and mastery of the information.
At the same time, the teacher teams and individual teachers at the Middle School are also looking at the needs of each individual student. Additional services and assistance is provided to a student when needed.
This great work is not happening only at the Middle School. Each school in Crook County School District has goal teams working in the core academic areas. These teams of teachers are doing the same type work as the Science team at the Middle School. Last night at the Board meeting, four goal teams from four different schools presented their work and progress on improving academic mastery and achievement. This presentation highlighted what our teachers have been doing for the past four or five years to use data to direct instruction at the classroom level in order to help each student reach the academic standards and goals set by the school, district, and state.
All of this good work and the positive development depends upon teaching excellence in the classroom. The research continues to suggest that the single most important factor of student growth and development is the quality of each teacher in the classroom. Crook County students are fortunate to have many caring adults, excellent teachers, and some truly great teachers like Mike Geisen working with them daily. Congratulations Mr. Geisen for being selected as the State of Oregon's shining example of a great teacher.
Steve Swisher is the Crook County School District superintendent. He can be reached at: steve.swisher@crookcounty.k12.or.us |
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