Congratulations to Mrs. Kim Bowers from the Highland Local Schools. She was selected as the 2024 Homer B. Smith Teacher of Excellence Award recipient. Mrs. Bowers was nominated by Carrie Knapp, Highland High School Principal, for her work as an outstanding educator.
Excerpts from her nomination form:
Mrs. Bowers celebrates her students' unique talents and interests, empowering them to take ownership of their learning. Whether through personalized feedback, constructive praise, or thoughtful encouragement, she inspires her students to strive for excellence and reach their fullest potential.
Mrs. Bowers is a shining example of a teacher who meets her students exactly where they are. She instills confidence and a sense of belief in her students. Perhaps a little unfair, the school counselors and administrators at Highland High School understand that to properly place some of our math students into an appropriate educational setting means to place them with Mrs. Bowers She is highly empathetic, adapts when she needs to and is committed to creating an environment where students feel supported and valued. She appreciates their diverse range of skills, abilities and interests. Mrs. Bowers is keenly aware that students learn at different paces and in different ways. By creating a supportive and nurturing classroom community, she helps her students feel safe to take risks.
Mrs. Bowers is not only our "go to" teacher with tough student cases, but she is also a "go to" advisor for students clubs and activities. Mrs. Bowers is our Key Club advisor. She works with students on various projects throughout the school year for both the school and the community.
The first question on this nomination form requests information regarding instructional strategies, assessment techniques and curriculum development. While those are important, it isn't the first thing students or staff think of when reflecting on what makes Mrs. Kim Bowers an outstanding teacher; rather what comes to mind are her relationships and the rapport she has with students. It is how she makes students feel, her gift to reach the toughest students and show them that they can be successful in math, and her ability to truly meet students where they are. Mrs. Bowers has, during our Academic Learning Lab, met with students 533 times since the start of the year. That is over 500 reteaching opportunities, over 500 questions answered, or over 500 opportunities to build rapport with students. We feel blessed to have Mrs. Kim Bowers as part of our Highland staff, but more importantly, our kids feel lucky to have Mrs. B as their teacher!
Dr. Robert Hlasko, ESC Superintendent, and Kevin Consiglio, ESC Governing Board Vice President, presented Mrs. Bowers her award at a presentation at Highland High School. Mrs. Bowers was joined by her family and the administrators from Highland to celebrate her award. Along with the award she received a gift certificate to go toward a national education conference of her choice.
Congratulations Mrs. Bowers!