March
2010 - Two of Pendleton County's outstanding teachers were recognized
at the annual West Virginia Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Conference in Flatwoods, WV on March 20th. Teacher of the Year
Awards are given each year to outstanding teachers in West Virginia
at elementary, middle, high and university levels. Nominees
are recognized for their evidence of exemplary mathematics teaching,
professional certification, awards, publications, presentations,
leadership, and other types of distinguished service to mathematics
education.
Dana Yokum received the 2011 Elementary Teacher of the
Year award. She has taught 32 years and is currently teaching
third grade at Franklin Elementary. She is a member of the Pendleton
County Mathematics Team. As a team member she has participated
in the School Mathematics Program Improvement Review and the
Mathematics Textbook Committee. Dana has created Instructional
Guides which are posted on the West Virginia Teach 21 website
for all West Virginia teachers to implement in their classrooms.
A parent wrote: "Dana truly has a special gift of teaching
and making her students feel important." One of her former
students wrote, "If we didn't understand she would sit
down and explain. Mrs. Yokum helped me not only through math
but by how much she cared."
Mrs. Yokum has become a leader for technology implementation
in the classroom. Her students are highly engaged with interactive
whiteboards, document cameras and student responders. They leave
the classroom as capable trainers for other staff members.
Sheila Ruddle received the Middle School Elementary Teacher
of the Year award. For 33 years she has crafted her instructional
delivery towards "making students think."
Sheila is recognized as an educational leader in the state.
This national-board certified teacher has help to create the
standards-based Unit Plans for Algebra I and College Transition
Mathematics. She has posted Project-Based Learning Units to
Teach 21, helped revise the math West Virginia Content, Standards,
and Objectives, and Instructional Guides and Power Standards
for West Virginia Department of Education.
As a teacher reviewer for Glencoe/McGraw-Hill Publishers, she
offered suggestions for its recent Algebra I text. She serves
as Vice President of the WVCTM and a member of the West Virginia
Leadership Task Force. Sheila is Pendleton County's link with
new West Virginia Department of Education indicatives and national
trends. She empowers her students with lifelong mathematics
solving strategies enabling them to be successful. "No
matter what Sheila takes on, she handles it with professionalism
and an eye towards perfection," quoted another mathematics
teacher. A parent wrote, "Mrs. Ruddle constantly challenged
my children to 'think out of the box' to solve problems."