Hoffman named APS teacher of year
By Maria Lindsay
DOWNTOWN AKRON — A 28-year veteran of education has been named the Akron Public Schools (APS) 2005-06 Teacher of the Year.
Mary Jo Hoffman, a kindergarten teacher at Fairlawn Elementary School, was selected for the honor by a review committee made of administrative and staff members, parents and last year’s winner — Kelli Moles, a teacher at Seiberling Elementary School. Hoffman learned she had been chosen for the award at the APS district’s annual banquet, which took place May 10 at the Greek Community Center. At the banquet, teachers are recognized for a variety of honors.
“I was so excited to learn
that I had been chosen,” Hoffman said. “This
is a huge honor.
The nomination for district Teacher
of the Year began with the selection of one teacher
from each of the district’s 58 buildings, which
was narrowed first to 16 and then eight.
Patti Tshantz, coordinator of
certificate licensed staff for the district and head
of the review committee, said Hoffman was selected for
her attention to students, such as sending copies of
a 12-year-old kindergarten class tape she found to graduating
seniors. “It is fortunate
for her kids that she cares as much as she does,”
Tshantz said. “This kind of effort shows she is
worthy of the Teacher of the Year award.”
In accepting the honor, Hoffman shared
the recognition with other teachers in the building.
“I do not teach in a vacuum
— many teachers share ideas and strategies,”
Hoffman explained.
She said she strives to meet
each individual child’s needs in a class of
varied abilities and added that
she focuses on two goals in teaching: preparing students
to be good citizens and workers, and teaching them to
be life-long learners.
Hoffman added she encourages students
in her class to help each other to develop a sense of
community.
“My students work in groups
toward a common goal, helping each other along the way,”
Hoffman said. “I believe this skill is very important
when children grow up,
enter the work force and get involved in their communities.”
Hoffman also said she encourages
parents to get involved in their children’s education
by becoming classroom tutors.
“By seeing the children
and observing what goes on, a positive attitude toward
public education can be fostered,” she said.
Hoffman added she appreciates
the “great support” she gets from the parent
volunteers in her class. As
the district Teacher of the Year, Hoffman received a
laptop computer and printer, a video iPod, a trip to
anywhere in the continental United States to attend
a professional conference, and $500 for her classroom
account.
“Those things are nice, but
it was the honor that touched me,” Hoffman said.
Hoffman, a Copley resident, earned
her degree in elementary education from Kutztown State
College in Pennsylvania in 1972
and started working with APS in 1979.
Hoffman also was named Outstanding
Educator of the Year by the Fairlawn Elementary PTA
earlier this year and has received the building Teacher
of the Year award two times by peers at Fairlawn Elementary.
Mary Jo Hoffman
Photo courtesy
of Akron Public Schools
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