The Auburn School District Board of Directors recognized the 2008 Teachers of the Year. A high school, middle school and elementary school teacher were selected.
Two of the teachers, Tim Wright and Michelle Hupperten, have been selected to move on to the regional competition, with a chance of advancing further.
The district’s three winners:
Tim Wright
English teacher
Auburn Riverside
High School
Wright’s exuberant teaching style, scholarly pursuits and desire to teach kids from beginning to advanced make him the high school level outstanding Teacher of the Year.
Wright has worked in the English department at Auburn Riverside since its doors opened in 1995. Prior to his tenure at ARHS, he taught for three years at Olympic Middle School and student-taught at Auburn High.
In addition to his regular and AP classes, Wright is the school’s AP coordinator for honors classes. He is responsible for coordinating assignments, scheduling exams and signing up with the college board. Wright also coaches track and cross country.
Wright possesses a strong work ethic, which bodes well with the high expectations he sets for students.
“I am most rewarded when kids come back from college or a job to visit and tell me that my class made a difference in their learning and lives,” Wright said. “I always tell my students that they may not like the class now, but they will be grateful for it later on.”
Wright’s scholarly pursuits, which include earning a masters in curriculum, instruction and assessment, directly benefit the learning of his students.
Wright makes it a point to connect to activities beyond the classroom, which he attributes to his broader and more realistic view of public education. He has become active in Olympia, speaking in front of the legislative body regarding educational issues.
Wright’s energy is contagious inside and outside the schoolhouse. He dresses up as Portable Man during Halloween – cape, goggles and all – in honor of his portable classroom. He also loves to train for marathons with his dog, Runner, and never passes up a travel opportunity. This summer he will be taking a one-month excursion to Athens, Istanbul, Jerusalem and the Greek Islands.
Ann Durham
7th grade language arts/social studies teacher
Mt. Baker Middle School
Durham’s creative teaching style, commitment to lifelong learning and dedication to reach her students make her the middle level outstanding Teacher of the Year.
It is her professional goal to motivate students to think and ask questions about their world on a daily basis.
“It’s really about sparking their curiosity for learning,” she said. “The Socratic debates help to spark their curiosity through dialogue among each other.”
Socratic seminars are used to promote dialogue among a group of individuals through metacognitive strategies.
“The dialogue makes students think about their own thinking,” Durham said. “It also teaches students etiquette and communication skills.”
Durham uses such activities to empower students so that they believe they can do anything they put their mind to – even if that means overcoming difficult obstacles.
Speaking from her own experiences, Durham shares with students personal anecdotes about the hurdles she has faced and overcome in life.
In college, Ann had a professor who told her to get out of education.
“I knew it’s what I wanted to do, so I had to overcome that obstacle of someone telling me I would fail at it,” she said.
Durham’s personal anecdotes and care for her students make life in the classroom a reciprocal relationship between teacher and student.
After receiving her bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1981, Durham taught fifth and sixth grades in the Kent School District for 15 years before joining Mt. Baker.
Durham also pursued her masters in literacy nearly 20 years after receiving her B.A.
“It was great to learn new ideas and technology and begin sharing with other teachers,” she said. “Now I can use PowerPoint to teach a lesson to my visual learners, which helps me to teach to the different modalities. The use of technology in my teaching has really changed my style of teaching.”
Durham also is involved in building and district reading and literacy committees.
Michelle Hupperten
Pioneer Elementary School
Teacher On Special
Assignment (TOSA)
Hupperten raises the teaching bar through her commitment and passion for her students and colleagues, risk taking and high expectations.
“I know the kids I’m teaching today are our leaders of tomorrow,” said Hupperten, the elementary level outstanding Teacher of the Year. “It is part of my job to prepare students to become good citizens and leaders so they can take this country forward.”
Hupperten understands that many of her students do not receive the support they need at home. Therefore, she cares for and teaches students how to believe in themselves and live life to their potential.
Nine years ago, Hupperten was hired as a first-grade teacher at Pioneer and then decided to pursue second grade for a few years. In 2002, Pioneer had an opening for a TOSA instructor. Essentially, the position would reduce class sizes throughout the building during small-group reading blocks.
Hupperten not only reaches students in her own classes, but also students across the district. She has presented the latest “best practices” on reading strategies to Pioneer, Hazelwood and Terminal Park Elementary staff. Additionally, she has served on various OSPI committees and scored portions of the reading WASL.
“I am interested in sharing what is taking place at the state level with my fellow teachers,” said Hupperten, “because it has a direct impact on the instructional practice of teachers in the school and district.”
Hupperten, who recently obtained her national board certification, takes the time to build relationships at Pioneer, particularly with the parents.
For Hupperten, it is especially important to reach parents whose children are not yet in school.
“Helping young children from birth to school age by reading to them, talking with them and holding them helps them enter school better prepared in their minds and hearts,” she said.
