Kentucky Teacher

I recently returned from “Washington Recognition Week” in our nation’s capital and all I can say is that I wish every teacher across Kentucky could be doted on as I and my fellow State Teachers of the Year (STOYs) were during this week.  It was an incredible time.

Kentucky Teacher of the Year Kristal Doolin with her husband, Terry, and daughter, Tara, with the Jefferson Memorial behind them. Photo submitted by Kristal Doolin

From our time at the White House, to our visit with Dr. Jill Biden at her home and our work at the U.S. Department of Education, gratitude seemed to be the order of the week.

In an effort to pay it forward, as we celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week (May 6-11), I’d like to thank both my former teachers and fellow teachers across the state.  I invite everyone who reads this to do the same. As President Obama said during our ceremony in the Rose Garden, “If there’s one thing we can’t say enough to our nation’s educators, it is ‘thank you.’”  I quite agree, Mr. President.

However, we can go further than simply saying “thank you.”  I believe the key to impressing upon teachers how much they are valued and keeping good teachers in the field goes beyond appreciation.  Teachers are consummate professionals who look for “teachable moments” in life the way doctors seek new medical solutions.

While in Washington D.C., for example, I found a plethora of experiential learning opportunities for my daughter and, as she did in Arizona, she recorded her learning to share with her classmates while I blogged about my experiences with my students.  After returning from our time in D.C., as planned, she shared her experiences with her 3rd-grade classmates through a video she made on her iPad.

In the week after we returned, my daughter was invited to share her video and speak to four other classes in her school.  The fact that this was a success and links to common core is like hitting the bull’s eye of the target for me. That is what teachers get excited about – in or out of the classroom.

Kentucky Teacher of the Year Kristal Doolin during her visit to Washington D.C. at the library for the Department of Education.

I agree with President Obama when during that same speech he said, “Teaching is a profession and it should be treated like one.”  This rang true when during our time at the U.S. Department of Education later in the week, my fellow STOYs and I were introduced to the RESPECT project. RESPECT (Recognizing Educational Success, Professional Excellence and Collaborative Teaching), according to our own Commissioner of Education, Terry Holiday, “…is a great initiative.”  It is the result of a two-year effort led by the U.S. Department of Education that involves educators across the nation and several professional organizations lifting teaching to the level deserving of such a profession. RESPECT is not another federal mandate, but is a revolutionary effort that starts with educators.I invite all educators to visit http://www.ed.gov/teaching . Review and discuss the RESPECT document (which was embargoed until recently, but is now available).  See how schools and districts are already working toward a new vision of teaching.  I personally applaud the effort and look forward to the day when teaching is treated at a level equivalent to other professions and each “thank you” is the icing on the cake made of RESPECT.

Kristal Doolin

Mark Twain said, “Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.”

Throughout my education, I was very fortunate to be surrounded by remarkable teachers who embodied this quote. My sixth-grade teacher, for example, led me to what I consider to be a defining moment in my life. She convinced me to enter the Daughters of the American Revolution essay contest and taught me that my words could do something beyond our classroom. I won the contest and went on to win several other events, both locally and in the Governor’s Cup Competition. For a little girl living in a small community in Southeastern Kentucky, this experience was huge. My teachers continually gave me the knowledge and tools to do what I wanted no matter what it might be or when it needed to be done.

From the Library Club during school to the Academic Team after school, there were always so many ways to connect me to school through my own interests. Now, as a language arts teacher, I am very passionate about teaching my students to enjoy reading and writing, but I Read the full story

Nominations are now open for the 2014 Kentucky Teacher Awards, sponsored by the Kentucky Department of Education and Ashland Inc.

Nominations may be submitted electronically by visiting the 2014 Kentucky Teacher of the Year website, kentuckytoy.com. The deadline for nominations is May 15.

Any full-time public school teacher in the state with at least three years of experience is eligible. Additional qualifications are cited on the application. Students, parents, teaching peers, principals, superintendents or anyone from the community who has an interest in honoring an outstanding educator may nominate a teacher for this award.

All nominated teachers are required to complete a formal application, which must be submitted by June 30. A blue ribbon panel of education professionals from around the state will judge the applications in August; up to 24 Ashland Inc. Teacher Achievement Award winners will be announced in September. Following site visits with nine semifinalists in September and personal interviews with the top three candidates, the Kentucky Teacher of the Year will be announced in Frankfort. At that time, all 24 teachers will be honored with cash Read the full story

Kristal Doolin

Kentucky Teacher of the Year, Kristal Doolin, recently spoke to a group of pre-service teachers and shared advice as they prepare to enter the profession. Much of her message should resonate with veteran classroom teachers and serve as good reminders for them as well. Below is a portion of her address.

Mother Teresa said, “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” If you’ve ever skipped rocks across the still waters of a pond, you understand this concept. As you prepare to work in the field of education, you should see the parallels. Are you prepared to pick up the metaphorical stones? Do you have the desire to make a difference? Do you love both students and the content you will teach? You’ll need all this and more.

I agree with Steve Jobs who once said, “The only way to do good work is to love what you do.” I’ve have always loved learning. Specifically, I love words and how those words can come together to move us – physically or emotionally. I love what I teach, and I love my students. As a teacher, you’ll experience a lot of days when those figurative rocks are suddenly too heavy and that “love” will keep you going. “Love” isn’t something they teach you in college though, and passion isn’t something you can fake. Students will know. Read the full story

Kristal Doolin

Charles Schulz’s infamous Peanuts character Lucy Van Pelt once said, “Try not to have a good time…this is supposed to be educational.” Sorry, Lucy, but I was determined to make my recent opportunity to represent our state at the Chief Council of State School Officers National Teacher of the Year Conference both educational and fun for me, my family, who accompanied me, and my students. Now that I am home reflecting on the event, I believe I met my goal.

I’ve said from the moment I was selected as Kentucky Teacher of the Year that I wanted to use every opportunity to its fullest this year, to directly impact not only me but also those around me. This started with my family because I knew that this experience would not be as rich if they were not involved. They are the backbone of what I do, so I was very thankful that I could afford to take them along. While in Arizona my husband, daughter and I took in as much as we could. The highlight of this was the Grand Read the full story

Kristal Doolin

I am a great admirer of those who came before me, and I believe there is much to be said for the wisdom of intelligent people. As anyone who reads my writing or visits my classroom knows, this admiration leads me to quote others frequently.

There are well-known quotes, however, that I do not appreciate. As I reflect on 2012, I’ve read countless articles arguing the merit of teachers. During this, I came across possibly my least favorite quote: “Those who can, do. Those who cannot, teach.” This quote is credited to several people from George Bernard Shaw to Woody Allen, but my concern isn’t with the source of the quote. It is with the validity of the statement, and the fact that it is tossed out frequently without any regard for its meaning. This is in fact the type of unintelligent, unsupported response I teach my students to avoid.

I, as any teacher would, take issue with the statement and recognize that teaching is the highest level of cognition encompassing every level of Bloom’s Taxonomy – both the original and revised versions. It frustrates me that such an important profession could ever be underappreciated, yet this quote reflects the attitude often projected toward educators. Read the full story

Kristal Doolin

This is a unique time of year. As I write this article, we are in the midst of Thanksgiving and heading toward the Christmas season. Traditionally, this is the time of year when people are most grateful. How ironic it is that the season was prefaced by the release of our latest and most stressful test scores ever. It is without a doubt a very taxing time of year for all educators across the state, and finding the thankfulness is difficult. 

French journalist Alphonse Karr said, “Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns; I am thankful that thorns have roses.” As we approach the daunting task of what to do next, we have a choice about how we approach it. Instead of seeing the thorns, we need to see the roses – the opportunities. With our unique situation here in Kentucky, we have the chance to demonstrate what good teaching is all about: teamwork. Whether we realize it or not, as the first state to adopt the Common Core State Standards in English/language arts and mathematics, and the first whose test scores reflect those standards, we aren’t the only ones paying special attention. Other states, most of whom have not started to implement the new standards yet, are watching Kentucky as we foreshadow the road ahead of them.  Read the full story

Kentucky 2013 Teacher of the Year Kristal Doolin laughs with her 7th-grade language arts class about how misplaced punctuation can change the meaning of a sentence at Corbin Middle School (Corbin Independent).
Photo by Amy Wallot, Nov. 8, 2012

“Surreal” — that is the word I found myself saying over and over last month as I stood in the Capitol Rotunda before my family, colleagues and dignitaries and was named 2013 Kentucky Teacher of the Year. Although I knew I was a middle school finalist, the concept of winning was not something I could fathom. So, when I won, I was overcome with emotion and humbled by the recognition. I still am.

Like many teachers, what I do doesn’t seem out of the ordinary to me because it’s, well, what I do. Nevertheless, many people were suddenly asking what I do and why I do it. For me, what makes the difference isn’t the method, but the passion. I believe we as teachers must be students first — excited to learn. Our classrooms should be “living” spaces growing and changing as needed with lessons always ready for the revision required to fit the needs of our audience. This idea, reflective teaching, isn’t a new one. However, in my opinion, with our new Common Core State Standards, this has never been more important than it is today. Read the full story

By Matthew Tungate
matthew.tungate@education.ky.gov

Kentucky Elementary School Teacher of the Year Heidi Givens of Tamarack Elementary (Daviess County), 2013 Kentucky Teacher of the Year Kristal Doolin of Corbin Middle School (Corbin Independent) and Kentucky Middle School Teacher of the Year Allison Hunt of duPont Manual High (Jefferson County) were named during the annual ceremony in Frankfort.
Photo by Amy Wallot, Oct. 17, 2012

Kristal Doolin, a 7th-grade language arts teacher at Corbin Middle School (Corbin Independent),  has loved reading and writing since she was young.

“I just love words,” she said.

It is this love of words that lead her to become a language arts teacher. It was her love of teaching about words that lead her to be named the 2013 Kentucky Teacher of the Year.

Doolin, who also was named Kentucky Middle School Teacher of the Year, received the award Oct. 17 at a ceremony in Frankfort hosted by Ashland Inc. and the Kentucky Department of Education. Heidi Givens, a teacher of deaf and hard-of-hearing students at Tamarack Elementary (Daviess County), was named 2013 Elementary School Teacher of the Year. Allison Hunt, a social studies teacher at duPont Manual High School (Jefferson County), was named 2013 High School Teacher of the Year. Read the full story

2013 Kentucky Teacher of the Year Kristal Doolin receives her award from Ashland Chairman and CEO Jim O’Brien. Also pictured are Kentucky Board of Education chairman David Karen, First Lady Jane Beshear, Gov. Steve Beshear and Commissioner of Education Terry Holliday.

Kristal Doolin, a language arts teacher at Corbin Middle School in the Corbin Independent school district, is the 2013 Kentucky Teacher of the Year.

The announcement was made yesterday at a ceremony held at the Capitol Rotunda in Frankfort by Ashland Inc. and the Kentucky Department of Education. Governor Steve Beshear; Commissioner of Education Terry Holliday; and Ashland Chairman and CEO Jim O’Brien were on hand to make the presentation.

Heidi Givens, a teacher of deaf and hard-of-hearing students at Tamarack Elementary in Daviess County, was named 2013 Elementary School Teacher of the Year. Allison Hunt, social studies teacher at duPont Manual High School in Jefferson County, was named 2013 High School Teacher of the Year.

The three joined 21 other teachers from across the state honored with 2013 Ashland Inc. Teacher Achievement Awards. Givens and Hunt received $3,000 each and a customized, art-glass vase from Ashland Inc., while Doolin received $10,000 and a commemorative crystal-glass bowl. In addition, the Department of Education will provide a sabbatical or suitable alternative for Doolin, who also will represent the state in the 2013 National Teacher of the Year competition. The remaining 21 winners each received $500 cash awards. All 24 teachers received framed certificates and were further recognized at a luncheon following the ceremony.