THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, May 9, 1996 TAG: 9605080101
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Medium: 69 lines
Other division-wide winners in Suffolk Public Schools' Teacher of the Year competition are as follows:
Caren O'Connor of Florence Bowser Elementary School was named Elementary School Teacher of the Year.
O'Connor, a native of Portsmouth, has taught fourth grade at the school for the past three years.
O'Connor was named Outstanding Scholar in her 1992 December graduating class at Old Dominion University where she received a bachelor's degree in elementary/middle school education. She is presently pursuing a master's degree in elementary education.
In order to live in the community where she worked, she and her husband, Maurice O'Connor, have built a home in Suffolk.
``Every day is different,'' O'Connor said. ``All the children are unique and you have to find different ways to reach each one so you have to use your creative talents.''
Linda Dohey, who was chosen Middle School Teacher of the Year, is a native of Chesapeake.
She has been a resident of Suffolk for nine years and teaches sixth-grade language, social studies, and reading at John Yeates Middle School.
Dohey graduated from Virginia Tech in 1987 with a bachelor's degree in education and later, earned a master's degree at Old Dominion University in middle school education.
``I find teaching challenging, I think, because I try to find a way to reach each kid,'' Dohey said, ``. . . and interesting because every day is different and every child in your room is different.''
Eva Goodrich, a Portsmouth native, was named High School Teacher of the Year.
A Latin teacher at Nansemond River High School, Goodrich also teaches one class of Latin at John Yeates Middle School.
Goodrich moved to Suffolk to accept a job. After they married, Goodrich and her husband decided to become permanent Suffolk residents.
``Teaching is interesting because every day is different,'' she said. ``Even if you plan very well, you never really know how things are going to go. It's challenging because you have such a variety of students to teach and you have to try to reach each one of them. Latin is an extremely important help with the English vocabulary. It is the basis of other foreign languages. They've proven that students who take Latin score higher on SAT tests.''
The following teachers were nominated by their schools as candidates to represent Suffolk Public Schools as the 1997 Outstanding Teacher of the Year:
Priscilla Beamon, Booker T. Washington Elementary; Denise Richardson, Driver Elementary; Linda Perry-Clarke, Elephant's Fork Elementary; Deborah Robertson, Kilby Shores Elementary; Almeta Smith, Mount Zion Elementary; Myrtle Bennett, Oakland Elementary; Elaine Driggins, Robertson Elementary; Carol Porter, Southwestern Elementary; Dorothy Hart, Forest Glen Middle; Michael Milteer, John F. Kennedy Middle; and Jane Butler, Lakeland High. ILLUSTRATION: Photos
Caren O'Connor
Elementary School Teacher of Year
Linda Dohey
Middle School Teacher of the Year
Eva Goodrich
High School Teacher of the Year
by CNB