All 97 local 2012 teachers of the year were recognized recently at a ceremony at The Bushnell in Hartford.
They are enthusiastic, energized exemplars of the teaching profession.
Chris Poulos, Connecticut’s 2007 teacher of the year and president of the Teacher of the Year Council, explains why the program is so important. “We believe teacher recognition is essential to the profession. It improves schools and helps students succeed,” he says.
At the recent Hartford ceremony, Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman told the assembled teachers of the year, their families and superintendents, “You are the ones who teach the future, who inspire the future. You are a very special group of people. You have chosen a life of constantly giving.”
Teachers appreciate the positive attention.
Connecticut’s 2012 Teacher of the Year David Bosso of Berlin said, “Educators are often the unsung heroes of our society.”
Greenwich Teacher of the Year Karen Boyea, a semifinalist for state teacher of the year, agreed saying, “I think so much of what I see every day goes unnoticed: the small things that people do that mean so much to students. I think programs like this really validate what teachers are doing every day to help students in Connecticut.”
Click here for the complete list of Connecticut’s 2012 teachers of the year.
Watch a video of Connecticut 2012 teachers of the year talking about what the award means to them and why teacher recognition is important.
