Linn County Teacher of the Year named

John Pauly, an eighth grade math teacher at Harding Middle School, has been named the 2012 Linn County Educator of the Year.  John's use of 21

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thinking skills, problem based learning and experiments like the Barbie Bunge create opportunities for students to apply the content skills taught in his algebra classes. His unique set of skills and lasting impact on student learning has earned John this much deserved recognition.

Mary Campbell, a high school language arts teacher at Prairie High School, received the Honorable Mention award.  Over the past 31 years, Mary has shared her belief that communication is the key to continual learning on academic, personal, and professional levels with both staff and students.

Others honored at the awards reception will be: finalists Melena Urbanowski, a first-grade teacher at Van Buren Elementary and Tina Gudenkauf, a sixth-grade teacher at Harding Middle School; 2011 Excellence in Education award winner Elizabeth Altemeier, first-grade teacher at Grant Wood Elementary School; and 2011 National Board of Professional Teaching Standards Renewal teachers Sherrie Kopecky and Cheryl Lindo.

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All of the honorees, along with the individuals who nominated them, family and friends are invited to attend the awards ceremony at no charge, courtesy of Farmers State Bank, Cedar Wood and East Central Uniserv Units.

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year, the Linn County Educator of the Year Awards is sponsored by Farmers State Bank and designed to honor educators across the county who, like John Pauly, go beyond and above to make a difference in the lives of their students each and every day.  This year's ceremony will take place on National Teacher's Day, Tuesday, May 8th at the Kirkwood Hotel. The reception will begin at 4:30 p.m. followed with the presentation at 5:00 p.m.