Content about Teacher Awards

"Who was your favorite teacher growing up?" I love asking this question because no one ever responds with "Hmmm...I don't know." Everyone has at least one teacher who made a difference in their lives, whether imparting a love of literature, the Scientific Method, or simply by being a mentor and setting an example worth following. Often unsung and ever underpaid, such teachers are vital to our lives and the life of our communities. By nominating a teacher for the 2013 Awards of Recognition for Outstanding Teaching of the Humanities, you can give a little back to those who have given so much to us.

As part of a yearlong project devoted to the work of painter Thomas Hart Benton, Doris King's art students at Clarkrange High School trained to become docents for a travelling exhibit King brought to the school as part of her 2011 Award of Recognition for Outstanding Teaching of the Humanities. Over 900 students and adults from the town saw the exhibit during its stay at Clarkrange. And like the best museum educators, King's classes surveyed their audience to gauge the effect of their work. According to King, "Only 32% of students at the high school level have ever been to an art museum. Most students knew about the Great Depression, but had no idea it influenced the production of art. Very few recognized art could or should be used to study history."