Joyce McQuinn — Woodstock Elementary Joyce has been teaching for a total of 23 years, 15 of those at Woodstock. She has spent 17 years of her career teaching preschool and head start; currently, she teaches kindergarten. Joyce was influenced by her grandfather to become a teacher. “One hundred years ago, he was a teacher in a two room schoolhouse in Indiana, and later became a principal. He used to hold me on his knee and tell me stories of his experiences teaching. He taught me to read and opened up the world of knowledge and excitement that books bring. I wanted to share this wonder of learning. Now, my inspiration comes from the kindergarten children I teach. The eagerness, wonder and innate curiosity that young children bring to school inspires me to learn more about this art of teaching. I also hope in some small way to inspire the children I teach to love to learn, to be open to new ideas, and to become life-long learners.”
Lorin Cook — Woodstock Middle Lorin teaches eighth grade science, reading and language arts. She has been teaching for a total of 21 years, 17 at Woodstock Middle School (WMS). Lorin sees her job as a privilege. “I desire to see students thrive in every aspect of life, not just academically. Knowing that what I do makes a difference is one of the things that inspire me to keep going despite the growing hardships in the education arena. The staff and administration of WMS are an amazing bunch of people to work with; their dedication and willingness to do what is necessary for students to be successful is also an inspiration. I feel extremely blessed to be where I am and doing what I’m doing.”
Jillian Nichols — Oak Grove Elementary Fine Arts Academy Jillian has been a teacher for eight years, and this is her first year at Oak Grove. She is a second grade homeroom teacher. Jillian is inspired by her students daily. “As an elementary school teacher, I treasure having the opportunity to learn and grow every day with children from a variety of backgrounds. Therefore, it is my desire to inspire children because, as Norton Juster once explained, ‘Whatever we learn has a purpose and whatever we do affects everything and everyone else, if even in the tiniest way. Why, when a housefly flaps his wings, a breeze goes round the world; when a speck of dust falls to the ground, the entire planet weighs a little more; and when you stamp your foot, the earth moves slightly off its course. And it’s much the same thing with knowledge, for whenever you learn something new, the whole world becomes that much richer.’”
Nathan Whitehurst — Carmel Elementary Nathan teaches music at Carmel, and he has been a teacher for five years, all five at Carmel. Nathan is inspired when he sees students get involved in the creative process. “The excitement one feels in creating is what has drawn me into music. I love to see the faces of students as they call upon all their faculties of creativity and knowledge to create a work that they can call their own. It is exciting to hear as students describe and tell why they make certain compositional choices and then to hear how those choices play out. Creativity of students inspires me the most.”
Not pictured: Susan Vance, Bascomb Elementary; Laura Mikes, Boston Elementary townelaker | April 2013
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