Daviess County Public Schools on Tuesday the three recipients of the Teachers of the Year, as well as winners of the Customer Service and Support Professional Awards programs. These “Kids First” Awards are an opportunity to recognize “outstanding staff members who exemplify the highest ideals of the DCPS mission.”
Teacher of the Year is awarded to a teacher who exemplifies the characteristics of teachers in the district. According to DCPS, the award spotlights teachers with an outstanding passion for teaching and learning, a student-centered approach to all they do, an ability to develop and maintain positive relationships, a commitment to a growth mindset, and a dedicated team-player attitude.
Teachers of the Year
2022 Elementary School Teacher of the Year
Lisa Greer – Burns Elementary School
Lisa Greer works is as a 3rd-grade teacher with 11 years in the school system. She said that she loves working with 3rd graders because it’s a critical age to get children on board to be unified, work collectively, and share strengths and skillset.
“Not all children work the same, so getting them to realize that we all have something to offer, you expect nothing less than their best, high expectations for all students every day, and have that same expectation for yourself,” Greer said.
She said she tries to get to know the students beyond what they love about a subject because that’s how she gets total feedback from her students.
2022 Middle School Teacher of the Year Award
Melody Wallace – Apollo High School
Melody Wallace was a middle school teacher at College View Middle School last year but now works at Apollo High School as Jobs for America’s Graduates Specialist.
She spent three years at College View teaching 8th grade language arts. She has been in the district for 10 years and is especially thankful for placing value on her students.
“Those kids are the reason I get up in the morning. They’re the reason I have an extra cup of coffee, they’re the reason I have trouble getting a good night’s sleep, but putting kids first is what we do,” Wallace said.
2022 High School Teacher of the Year Award
Bo Phelan – Apollo High School
Bo Phelan is a teacher at Apollo High School, where he has spent 28 years educating. He said he tries to generate conversations with his students that transcend the classroom.
Some range from television shows or movies to family and even blend at times to be about families on television.
“There is value to every conversation, even if it doesn’t seem like it on the surface,” Phelan said. “Once I started to see the student as a person and not as a student, then I was able to develop those relationships — the kids want those relationships with adults that are meaningful.”
Kids First Support Professional and Customer Service Awards
These awards honor individuals who display kindness, dependability, and an exemplary way of making families and students feel welcome while challenging students to do their best, according to DCPS.
The 2022 Kids First Support Professional Winner is Traci Weedman for her work in the DCPS Transportation Department.
The 2022 Kids First Customer Service Award Winner is Bonnie O’Bryan for her work at West Louisville Elementary School.
