Sara Call, a special education teacher at Westerville North High School; Tom Cook, a social studies teacher at the Academic Enrichment Center; and Tyler Rutledge, a science teacher at Westerville South High School have been named Westerville Education Foundation’s September Teachers of the Month.
WEF Board Member and Chair of the Teacher of the Month program Rebecca Chesnick, WEF Secretary Beth Weinhardt, Superintendent Dr. John Kellogg, as well as administrators and teachers surprised recipients with the news.
Nomination letters for each recipient featured glowing praise:
Call: “Her caseload has students from all 4 grades and various abilities but she is able to track and remember details about each one with amazing accuracy. She not only follows up with their academic needs but makes sure their general well-being is always taken care of. She is an amazing coworker, great parent communicator and excellent leader within the school.”
Cook: “Students love it when he seeks them out. Often he searches for students just so he can ask how their job is or whatever interest they share. Whether it’s through a Cookster-designed worksheet or a simple note in his binder stating the page number where a student can reread to find an answer, Tom Cook makes teaching, even online, very personal.”
Rutledge: “Mr. Rutledge made me actually enjoy learning about science and biology, and if I had a bad morning, he made it better. Mr. Rutledge would always put the students first and make sure they always feel comfortable with everything… He would always have these science puns every morning, and it would either make the whole class laugh or some would be too cheesy like a dad joke. He just made my freshman year one of the best years that I will cherish.”
WEF recognizes teachers who have made an impact on their students, peers and school community. Sponsored by the Education First Credit Union, the Teacher of the Month program provides winners with $100 for their classroom funds.
To learn more about this month’s award winners and the Teacher of the Month program, visit the Westerville Education Foundation’s website.