Congratulations to Angela German, the 2013 Virginia Beach City Public Schools Teacher of the Year. Last night at the Teacher of the Year banquet, German, along with the 85 other respective teachers of the year, was honored at the Wyndham hotel, located on the Virginia Beach oceanfront.

Superintendent James Merrill spoke at the event, where he congratulated the crowd for their work, saying “(their) work serves as shining beacons to those in our profession.”

“I am humbled by the depths of devotion and service you provide our students,” Merrill said.

Merrill introduced the four finalists for the Citywide Teacher of the Year (Christopher Henry, oceanography/AP Environmental Science teacher, Bayside High School; Marie Culver, gifted resource teacher, Seatack Elementary School; Jeanelle Paden, second grade teacher, College Park Elementary School; and Erin Thomas, fourth grade teacher, Malibu Elementary School.

Then, it was German’s time to shine.

“I want to celebrate what we have in common:  our passion for education and students,” German said in her speech Thursday night. “I want to honor all of the wonderful things you have done throughout your career and the effort, time, and energy you have put into your classrooms over the years.”

While German was interested in celebrating what others had been doing, her colleagues were interested in celebrating her work.

German is an eighth grade English teacher at Plaza Middle School, and has been teaching in the school division for more than 13 years. In that time, German has built a reputation for holding her students to the highest standards of education and accountability.

“I know and have observed hundreds of teachers over the years, and I have seen some of the best; however, very few consistently demonstrate the caliber of care and devotion to students, encyclopedic knowledge of content and level of professionalism I have seen from her,” Beth Camper, an English teacher at Princess Anne High School and former colleague of German wrote in her nomination form. “Students who come from Angela’s class are not only fully prepared, but also enthusiastic and insightful about the work that awaits them.”

At Plaza, German has extended her reach from the classroom by creating new programs and initiatives to inspire student learning. Thanks to her efforts, Plaza Middle School now has a school wide Spelling Bee as well as a student newspaper. She has coached the varsity, junior varsity and competition cheerleading teams at Princess Anne High School, and has worked tirelessly as an International Baccalaureate consultant, site visitor and trainer.

“She is committed to educating our students and constantly has a glowing presence during strategic planning, extracurricular activities and community service,” said Violet Hoyle, principal of Plaza Middle School. “Mrs. German is a phenomenal educator who takes part in every aspect of a school’s life. I am most grateful that she has touched the lives of so many students, parents, community members and teachers at Plaza Middle School.”

As for German, in light of the successes she has earned, she said it is the students’ successes that mean the most.

“Teaching is what drives the world,” German wrote in her nomination form. “It is what challenges and inspires us to better ourselves and others. I chose to be a teacher because I love learning myself and enjoy fostering that desire and excitement in others. Teaching is my passion and I am fortunate that it is my career. There is nothing better than the reward of a student’s question, reflection, understanding or smile.”

For a complete list of all the teachers of the year from across the division, visit here. To view the 2013 VBCPS Teacher of the Year video, visit here.

 

 

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