BY EMMA SCEPKOVA

KONK LIFE STUDENT WRITER

Perseverance, respect, integrity, and dedication are qualities that students of the Monroe County School District (MSCD) aim to attain, and these very attributes are also what define an exemplary teacher. 

            In late November, Donna Tedesco was named the 2019 Teacher of the Year at Key West High School. Along with Tedesco, Richard Barber was recognized as Beginning Teacher of the Year and Pat Rech was elected as Inclusion Teacher of the Year. 

            The teachers who received an accolade felt “shocked, awestruck, and speechless,” as Rech remarked of the experience, “We have such a talented staff, so this truly touched my heart that I was nominated by my peers and actually won.¨ 

            A common theme among each of these teachers is how imperative a connection with the students is to be a genuinely great teacher. 

            In the words of Barber, “The techniques I use truly revolve around my relationship with students, the reality I set for the classroom, and the processes I follow in each of my classes.” 

            These educators have been honored for their exceptional teaching skills and ability to connect with the students, but they all have differing techniques and perspectives on how to effectively teach. “I present each topic from different points of view and try to access each person’s learning style,” Tedesco briefly summarized. Bringing a variety of perspectives and styles is imperative, in Tedesco’s opinion, to allow the student to learn the material presented.

Rech takes a different approach. She remarked on one of her specific teaching techniques, “Students work and assist one another in collaborative groups twice a week tackling concepts they do not understand in their core classes. Students actually prefer learning from each other, which is rather impressive to see!”     

Barber noted how discussion is a successful method of educating the pupils of Key West High School. “I love discussion; any way to involve discussion during a lesson will liven up the classroom.” 

With the diversity of methods and techniques, the truth of the matter is revealed: Teaching is all about the connections made. Rech summarized the importance of these connections, “Watching my current and former students learn and truly believe in themselves as they work toward their future goals, when it all comes together for them, no matter how big or small the achievement, and [they] share it with me… it’s magical, and it truly warms my heart!”

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