May 5, 2010 – One of 12 finalists will be named the 2010 Wake County Teacher of the Year at a banquet on Thursday, May 13 at the Embassy Suites in Cary.

Carole Barber of Fuquay-Varina High

Douglas Steve Clark of West Lake Elementary

Margaret Feldman of Salem Middle

Paul Bissell Graves of Daniels Magnet Middle

Breanna Harrill of Athens Drive High

Jennifer Hunter of North Forest Pines Elementary

Elizabeth Plotkin of Fuller Magnet Elementary

Christina Rudd of Cary High

James Ryan of Knightdale High

Davida Tatum of Harris Creek Elementary

Alice Verstrat of Garner Magnet High

Carol Wooten of Hunter Magnet Elementary

The 12 finalists were selected from 24 semi-finalists. These teachers developed portfolios with the following content: professional background; educational history; professional development activities; community involvement; philosophy of teaching; education issues and trends; and letters of support. Selection committees reviewed the portfolios and narrowed the field to 24 semifinalists who were then observed in their classrooms by the selection committees. Each selection committee chose one teacher to be among the 12 finalists.

Here is more information on each finalist:

Carole Lynn Barber

Carole Lynn Barber teaches Algebra II and AP Statistics at Fuquay-Varina High School. Barber has been teaching for 17 years, the last five at Fuquay-Varina. She is a National Board certified teacher, serves as the mathematics department chair and mentors beginning teachers. She is a 20-year member of the Girl Scouts and has served as a Math and Science Consultant for the Girl Scout community. She is the Student Council advisor and makes it a point to attend school events to help build relationships with her students outside of the classroom.

Barber attended a DuFour presentation on professional learning teams and attended a workshop on facilitating PLTs that have helped her establish strong, high performing PLTS within her department.

Barber believes it’s important to set high, but attainable expectations for students.

“My goal as a teacher is to set the bar at a level that is tough, but fair for the first jump,” said Barber. “As students clear the first height, I gradually raise the bar, offering encouragement and support along the way. If I set the bar too high at first, no one will try to jump, so I must set my goals within reach. If the bar is too low, there is no satisfaction in clearing it.”

Barber inspired student Julia Ramos to seek the Morehead-Cain Scholarship.

“Her continued support helped me through the grueling application and interview process,” said Ramos. “It was with her encouragement that I ultimately became a Morehad-Cain Scholar. There are truly not enough words to express the ways that Mrs. Barber has changed the lives of her students for the better.”

Steve D. Clark

Steve D. Clark is a physical education teacher at West Lake Elementary. Clark has been teaching for 25 years, the last 17 years at West Lake Elementary. He has been active in scouting and involved in his church, Garner United Methodist, where he has visited retirees, gleaned fields, helped to feed the hungry and worked on home repair projects. He has been the school’s Jump Rope for Heart coordinator for the last 17 years.

Clark has sought to provide physical activities for the school’s students.

“I have developed a series of before-school/early arrival physical fitness activities each and every morning from 7:50 to 8:20 a.m.,” said Clark. “On Tuesday and Thursday mornings, we hold the Jump Rope Club for first through fifth-graders where students have the opportunity to work on their jump rope skills they learned in PE class. Sometimes we may have over 200 students jumping at a time.”

Principal Chell Smith thinks highly of her teacher.

“The extra programs Mr. Clark facilitates could employ a full-time teacher,” said Smith. “He supervises the safety patrol, jump rope club and jogging or walking club. In addition, he facilitates fifth grade intramural activities and manages car pool every day. And now, he is beginning tennis lessons for 2nd-5th graders after school. Rarely do I arrive at school or leave campus when Mr. Clark’s car is not parked in its spot. He is that dedicated.”

Margaret Sibert Feldman

Margaret Sibert Feldman is an eighth grade Language Arts teacher at Salem Middle School. She has been teaching for 13.5 years, the last 3.5 years at Salem Middle. She is a National Board certified teacher. She tries to instill the importance of helping others in need and being an active participant in their communities. She has provided opportunities for her students to be engaged in community outreach by collecting donations for the US troops, children of Africa, the area’s food bank, and raising money to help victims of natural disasters.

Feldman attended a DuFour presentation on professional learning teams, has been a member of her school data team, explained PLTs to new teachers at her school and has led a workshop on PLTs for a school in another district. She has also presented best practices at the national level for the National Council for Teachers of English conference and The Library of Congress.

Feldman says teachers need to reinvent schools for 21st Century learning. She cited a lesson where she assigned students to teams asking them to find solutions to an assigned task.

“This simulation highlighted the skills that all students will need to compete in a global economy including effective teamwork, critical thinking and analytic skills, and the ability to effectively communicate using accurate verbal and written language,” said Feldman. “This was an exemplary learning experience which afforded the students the opportunity to apply skills they have learned in a myriad of courses.”

Parent Cynthia Palazzo praised Feldman for devising classroom strategies that incorporate real situations from the news into the lives of the students.

“She does this in the form of press releases which are like current events that the students have to write about, and how it relates to their own lives,” said Palazzo. “The way they do these press releases is by choosing an article from the news that week, providing a summary, discussing the tone, vocabulary, writer’s argument, intended audience and bias. They then discuss their articles in a seminar type setting.”

Bissell Graves

Bissell Graves is a seventh grade social studies teacher at Daniels Middle School. Graves has been teaching for 16 years, and this is his third year at Daniels Middle, where he is the Social Studies Deptartment Chair, a member of the School Improvement Team and co-advisor of the Model UN Security Council. He has volunteered in the schools of his wife who is a teacher and their four children, served as a basketball and soccer coach and has been active at his church.

Graves attended a professional learning teams presentation and led staff development sessions. He wants to ignite his students’ interest in learning.

“In terms of material wealth, our world is filled with the haves and have-nots,” said Graves. “When my students step into the classroom, the playing field is leveled via peer collaboration, high expectations, structure and mutual respect.”

Principal Elizabeth Battle remembers visiting Graves class where he was teaching about the development of the assembly line in the industrial revolution.

“He asked students to line their chairs up facing forward in two columns,” Battle recalled. “He then assigned each student a part of the assembly line. The goal was to draw a stick figure. One student would do the head, the next would do the body, the next the arms and so on. Then the fun started. He turned on the factory sounds and played the part of foreman. It was fabulous! The kids had a blast and understood the concept of an assembly line.”

Breanna Harrill

Breanna Harrill is a math teacher at Athens Drive High. Harrill has been teaching for four years, all at Athens Drive High. She is a National Board certified teacher. She coaches varsity softball and junior varsity basketball and has served as an after school math tutor and Saturday school coordinator.

Harrill believes it’s important to recognize that every student is different and will learn in various ways.

“Students come from different backgrounds, and this undoubtedly affects the nature in which the students learn,” said Harrill. “We can not teach all students the same way. I aim to be flexible and change my teaching styles to accommodate students, even if that means doing two different lessons on the same topic.”

Student Ashlyn Young believes Ms. Harrill is the best math teacher she’s ever had.

“Coming into Calculus, I was bracing for a semester of tough concepts, poor test grades and disappointment,” said Young. “Ms. Harrill has done something that no other math teacher has ever done for me before; she has completely taken the fear out of math. I no longer dread my math period, bur rather look forward to the new things I will learn that day. Because of Ms Harrill’s teaching styles, I understand calculus much more than I ever expected to.”

Jennifer Hunter

Jennifer Hunter is a kindergarten teacher at North Forest Pines Elementary. Hunter has been teaching for 11 years, the last three at North Forest Pines Elementary. She is a National Board certified teacher. She serves as a cooperating teacher for Meredith College Child Development students and is an active member of the Meredith College B-K Advisory Board. She has also worked in her church as Children’s Ministry Director.

Hunter believes she was called to teaching at an early age. Teaching is her life’s work.

“I believe young children learn best when expectations are clearly defined, routines are consistent, materials are engaging and environments are safe,” said Hunter. “My children know that they are free to move, explore, question, investigate and wonder about their world in an environment that will support and encourage their interests.”

Professor Kathryn Summers Clark of Meredith works with Hunter who mentors college students majoring in child development.

“She devotes much time and effort into helping students prepare the lesson plans which will be implemented with the children in her classroom,” Said Dr. Clark. “Her analysis of the implementation of their plans, specifically, and of their overall performance in her classroom is detailed and insightful. Her comments reflect an understanding of theory, research and best practices.”

Elizabeth Plotkin

Elizabeth Plotkin is a kindergarten teacher at Fuller Magnet Elementary. Plotkin has been teaching for four years, all at Fuller Magnet Elementary. During the year, she is the facilitator for the kindergarten professional learning team at the school. Plotkin has also volunteered to work with youth through her church and speak to students in the Education Program at Meredith College.

In addition, Plotkin works with Fuller staff and PTA to prepare meals and hosts sessions for the school’s bi-monthly family nights. For Plotkin, teaching is more than a job.

“My goals as a teacher is to provide opportunities for children to make positive memories in the school environment, to build a foundation of finding joy in learning, and to claim each day as a chance to be the change in a child’s life,” said Plotkin. “Making connections between children’s lives and the curriculum creates engaged learners. Using all the resources in your environment to reach students enables maximum growth.”

Principal Chris Scott says Plotkin serves as the chair of the school’s Positive Behavior Support Committee and is on the Student Support Team.

“She has empowered teachers with realistic strategies to anticipate, pre-correct and respond to student behaviors,” said Scott. “She has reorganized the PBS committee this year to create sub-committees, establishing task lists and setting goals for the school year. She has also recognized the importance of teaching families about PBS by adding a section to the school’s Parent Handbook and presenting sessions at Fuller Family Nights.”

Christina Rudd

Christina Rudd is a math teacher at Cary High. Rudd has been teaching for 12 years, all at Cary High. She is a National Board certified teacher. She has served as the co-advisor for the school’s National Honor Society and encouraged these students to work as tutors at their school and a neighboring elementary school. She also serves as the elementary school’s PTA tutoring chair recruiting parent volunteers to work with students.

Rudd is active in professional learning teams at her school. For Rudd, the rewards in teaching are boundless.

“There are little ‘a-ha!’ moments, and the improving of skills and grades, but teaching high school has two special rewards. The first is watching teenagers become young adults. The second is when the students come back after graduation to share their accomplishments.”

Principal Doug Thilman has found Rudd is happy teaching math to accomplished students and those who need support.

“She is one of two Calculus teachers at the school. However, this past year she volunteered to team teach a section of Introductory Math to a class of ESL students,” said Thilman. “Her goal was simple: to take this group of students and provide them the teaching and support they need to move up the math ladder and be successful students in all that they do.”

Jim Ryan

Jim Ryan is an English teacher at Knightdale High. Ryan has been teaching for eight years, the last six at Knightdale High. He is a National Board certified teacher. He has worked in the school and community to create a program that has recruited adult volunteers who have been trained to work on reading instruction with students.

Ryan attended a DuFour presentation on professional learning communities. He is a former college basketball coach who found that he wanted to teach literature.

“I got into teaching because I wanted to show students how much we can learn from literature,” said Ryan. “When a student tells me that while reading 10 pages of Fahrenheit 451, he understood Bradbury’s warning about hunting for utopia and obsessing about material things, I often literally jump for joy.”

Student Zoe Schaper arrived in Mr. Ryan’s class wanting to sharpen his writing skills.

“With his guidance, I became a better writer,” said Schaper. “Through his encouragement, I found my true passion, which is writing. I also have to say that any teacher who can serenade an entire class with a Sinatra song is very cool.”

Davida Tatum

Davida Tatum is a kindergarten teacher at Harris Creek Elementary. Tatum has been teaching for six years, the last 5 years at Harris Creek Elementary. She is seeking National Board certification. Tatum has volunteered as a youth athletic coach, juvenile diabetes advocate, Ronald McDonald House worker and helped with voter registration.

Tatum has taken part in a professional learning communities discussion on building trusting teams, in leading professional learning teams and on her school’s PLT.

Tatum feels that student learning is a direct reflection of the teacher.

“I continuously seek professional growth, encourage parental involvement and reflect on my practices,” said Tatum. “I realize that by effectively communicating with and working outside the classroom with colleagues, parents and students, efforts to form a solid and effective partnership are built. I continuously challenge myself as an educator by stepping out of my comfort zone and immersing myself in finding new and innovative ways to strengthen my teaching methods and ways to provide guidance and opportunities for each student to be a successful learner.”

Parent Jodi Darrohn’s daughter was in Mrs. Tatum’s class.

“We feel so blessed to have received Mrs. Tatum as our very first teacher,” said Darrohn. “The growth that we have seen in our daughter this year is a direct result of the energy and commitment that Mrs. Tatum has given to her job and to the children in her classroom. Our daughter loves going to school every day, she loves learning new things and she adores Mrs. Tatum.”

Alice Hasty Verstrat

Alice Hasty Verstrat is an English teacher at Garner Magnet High School. Verstrat has been teaching for 16 years, the last four at Garner Magnet High. She is seeking National Board certification. She is active at the school creating a Friday Read-aloud program and the guest speakers for International Festival, supporting Homecoming and the Relay for Life, as well as teaming with her husband to coach their children’s baseball and soccer teams.

Having taught International Baccalaureate English classes in Brazil and Turkey, Verstrat has found her Garner students as talented as other students world-wide.

“We work in the IB English program to write and think with the depth, analysis evidence and thoroughness they can achieve when it is modeled, coached and encouraged,” said Verstrat. “We write, get feedback and revise. Teaching writing is exhausting when done well. Regardless of how draining it is, I find tremendous fulfillment in the process, because it works.”

Student Deon Settle called being a student of Verstrat’s a life changing event.

“Mrs. Verstrat makes a difference in her classes; whether we liked her or not, she required us to work hard,” said Settle. “I believe that any human being could be influenced by her presence and her perspective. She caught me when I was falling off the right path and she never gave up on me.”

Carol Wooten

Carol Wooten is a fifth grade teacher at Hunter GT Magnet Elementary. Wooten has been teaching for 12 years, all at Hunter. She has received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching and is a Kenan Fellow and National Board certified teacher. Wooten is a mentor to beginning teachers at Hunter and pre-service teachers at NC State. She’s involved in a number of after school activities supporting Hunter students including Math Club, Odyssey of the Mind, and Science Olympiad. She is also coordinator for the school’s Science Night. Wooten also gives her time to write curriculum and develop online games that enhance student learning. She has also served as team captain for several Cary tennis leagues.

Wooten believes that learning should be fun, inquiry-based, and hands-on.

“As teachers, we must go beyond filling the students with basic knowledge,” said Wooten. “We must ignite in students a fire for learning. In my classes, I strive to show students how social studies, math and science are applicable in real world contexts.”

Parent J.B. Buxton said his two children gained confidence and excitement about science in Wooten’s class.

“I continue to be impressed by Ms. Wooten’s ability to engage a class of nearly 30 fifth-graders in science and to make the kind of individual impact on students – whether science and math are the subjects they love or despise,” said Buxton. “Ms. Wooten’s creative and inquiry-focused curriculum and lesson plans are the product of not just a keen mind, but hard work.”