Evansville's Outstanding Educator of the Year 2023: Here are the 3 middle school finalists
Each year, four Vanderburgh County educators are recognized for their love of teaching and commitment to local students.
The Outstanding Educators of the Year awards are sponsored by Liberty Federal Credit Union, the Courier & Press and the University of Evansville. In their 32nd year, the awards honor the dedication and contributions of Vanderburgh County K-12 educators at public and nonpublic schools that have at least three years in the profession.
Awards are given in four categories: elementary school, middle school, high school and principal. Winners will be announced later in the spring.
Meet this year's middle school finalists for Outstanding Educator of the Year:
Jance Johnston, sixth grade teacher, Delaware Elementary School
How many years have you been an educator?
10 years.
What was your background in education before starting your current role?
- Sixth grade teacher at Delaware Elementary for 10 years
- Sixth grade boys basketball coach for 10 years
- Afterschool STEM teacher for nine years
- Technology coordinator for the past four years at Delaware Elementary
- YMCA summer learning loss coordinator and teacher ( fivyears)
- Assist in creating GAIN Self-Regulation Curriculum for Middle School students & Teacher Voice and Model teacher for GAIN practices
What made you decide you wanted to be an educator?
In high school, I played multiple sports which led me to assist with summer camps where I worked with young athletes. My coaches noticed how well I worked with the athletes and suggested I consider a career in education. During my senior year, I was a cadet teacher at a local elementary school, which helped me confirm that I wanted to pursue a career in education.
What are the challenges you face in education today? And how do you overcome them?
One of the most difficult challenges I face in education on a day-to-day basis is providing high-quality instruction to a general education classroom with students at a varying range of capabilities. I overcome this by providing engaging lessons presented at grade level during whole-group instruction time, and I utilize multiple points of data to assemble my students into small groups where they then receive tailored instruction at their level.
With this approach, students receive content presented to them at grade level and also receive intentional instruction on the skills they struggle with the most.
What is your favorite thing about being an educator?
By far my favorite thing about being an educator is exposing my students to new skills that captivate their interests.
What makes you unique in your field?
Exposing students to a variety of activities such as gardening, CAD programs, 3-D printing, cooking and athletics really allows me to form connections with my students. As I build relationships with my students, I simultaneously gain their respect, which is invaluable. These opportunities also give students the ability to learn outside of the traditional curriculum and spark their interests in future careers, as well as help them obtain valuable background knowledge they can then apply to make learning new concepts easier.
Lucas Pate, orchestra director, Lodge and Lincoln schools
How many years have you been an educator?
I have been an educator for nine years, including teaching private lessons. This school year will be my fifth year in my current role with the EVSC.
What was your background in education before starting your current role?
I am currently serving as the orchestra teacher at Lincoln School and Lodge Community School. I began teaching stringed instruments in 2014 offering private lessons. In 2017 that program grew into what is now Evansville Music Academy and my studio climbed to 40 weekly students. In addition to teaching lessons, I was a substitute teacher for the EVSC from 2016 through 2018. My aptitude for teaching music classes was not unnoticed. In 2018 I began teaching orchestra full time for the EVSC. Since then I have taught orchestral strings at Lodge, Lincoln, Delaware, Vogel, Evans, Cedar Hall, Plaza, and Glenwood schools.
What made you decide you wanted to be an educator?
When I began substitute teaching I did not know it would lead to a career. However, I quickly began to notice some vacancies and the turnover in instrumental music in the EVSC. I sought out substitute positions in general, vocal, and instrumental music and met some of the teachers who would become my mentors in the profession. When I received a surprise phone call with an offer to teach orchestra full time, I decided within minutes to accept an interview. Combining a lifelong study of music with the responsibility of educating the next generation of musicians was a perfect fit from the start.
What are the challenges you face in education today? And how do you overcome them?
Since I started with the EVSC, I have worked primarily in priority Title I Schools. I could say funding is a setback, but charitable websites such as donorschoose.org have alleviated out-of-pocket costs for educators.
One of the primary challenges is retention, especially with younger or newer teachers. One of the best ways I have personally approached this challenge is by collaborating with teachers to standardize our practices, but also to just encourage them to stay positive and be resilient.
It is important to practice resiliency; every day as an educator presents new or different challenges.
What’s your favorite thing about being an educator?
Simply put, the students are my favorite part about being an educator. It is fascinating to be a part of a student’s journey from knowing nothing about an instrument to mastering their first pieces of music. Even more priceless is watching them realize their own hard work and success when they perform for their school or community.
It can change a young person’s life to perform recognizable or culturally significant music and then be rewarded and feel appreciated for it.
What makes you unique in your field?
Teaching in a Title I building is not a diminished experience or a stepping stone for me: it is a calling. The wider range of challenges makes the work that much more enjoyable and that much more rewarding when our string ensembles experience success. Some days are not going to be all about big musical breakthroughs or fitting a lot of new concepts into a 40-minute class. Some days are spent teaching emotional regulation and facilitating students’ mutual respect for each other and appreciation for their craft, and that is fine with me.
Esther Wilson, ELA and social studies, Thompkins Middle School
How many years have you been an educator?
I have taught for 24 years in a variety of contexts.
What was your background in education before starting your current role?
I received my bachelor's in elementary and middle school education from the University of Illinois. I have taught in magnet and STEM Schools, private and public schools in Indiana, Illinois, Massachusetts, and overseas in the Marshall Islands in addition to homeschooling my four children for a while. I also developed and implemented an educational curriculum for a non-profit organization that was used worldwide.
When I started teaching in the EVSC, I taught fifth grade at Tekoppel Elementary School. I love working with middle school students and moved to Thompkins Middle School two years ago. I recently finished my master’s degree in educational leadership from Bethel University.
What made you decide you wanted to be an educator?
I come from a family of educators and wanted to be an educator from an early age. What solidified my desire to be an educator were the teachers that I had. Specifically, when I was in the fourth grade I was going through a difficult season. My fourth-grade teacher demonstrated a lot of care for me as a student and as an individual. She and I are still close to this day. I am very thankful for the time and energy she poured into me as her student.
At different points in my life, I have had teachers who encouraged me to do greater things. It is those educators who helped me to be the person I am today. It is because of these individuals and their impact on my own life, that I wanted to be an educator who poured into other people and made them and the world a better place.
What are the challenges you face in education today? And how do you overcome them?
There are many challenges for educators today as our responsibilities increase. I believe the best way to overcome the challenges we are experiencing as educators is to be an open-minded problem solver and I want to be creative in how I address situations in my classroom. I think that it is also important to use research and data to back up what we are doing as educators.
One of the most common issues that I face in my class is student behaviors that inhibit their ability to learn or hinder other students’ ability to learn. I have found the best way to address these issues is to build a strong relationship with each student so that they know you care for them individually. When a student knows that you care for them they are more willing to adjust their actions. Furthermore, I have clear expectations for all students with clear consequences, both positive and negative, when those expectations are met or not. This gives the students more responsibility and accountability for their behavior.
What’s your favorite thing about being an educator?
There are many things I love about being an educator. The two things I enjoy the most are my relationships with my students and coworkers, and helping students learn and mature into global leaders through their educational experiences. I believe that being an educator is a very high calling. We shape the future of those we work with every day.
One of my favorite quotes that I strive to live by is from Maya Angelou. “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” I firmly believe that when a student knows you care for them, the impact you have on their life is much greater. They are able to then take what they have learned and move obstacles in front of them.
What makes you unique in your field?
There are two main things that make me unique as an educator. First, I have a vast amount of life and educational experiences, and my passion for loving and caring for my students and those in my educational community.
I draw on my unique life experiences to help me be a great educator. I have lived and taught overseas and in a variety of educational settings. These life experiences allow me to make my instruction more engaging and tailored to my students. I enjoy bringing real-life examples and situations into my classroom. I have also been fortunate enough to have many individuals who have poured into me. I pull from these experiences from mentors and educators to make my classroom more engaging and a safe place for my students.
Each day I strive to make a personal connection with each of my students. When my students are in the hall, or in my room, I want to be a safe person for them to talk with and one that will hold them to high standards. Additionally, I work very hard at knowing all of the students in my school. I want each student to know someone believes in them when they come to school.
My passion and care for students, teachers, and other members of the educational community is a major attribute that makes me unique as an educator.