2007 Outstanding Rural Junior High School Teacher
Patti Hutton
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Normally, educators that might be classified as outstanding have acquired those skills over a number of years. This is just that case, for Patti grew up in a large family and knew the difficulties early on. Because of this, she is a "lioness" when it comes to loving and protecting her students. She knows the value of a little mothering along with teaching and is perfectly suited for working with students of junior high age whose hormones are raging and reasoning abilities go into hiding for a couple of years!
In the classroom, Patti is best described as a facilitator, one who teaches students to find the answers and learn the concepts that are important. She uses a variety of techniques so that each child is successful. She doesn't accept the attitude that learning isn't important and guides each student to a better understanding of the subject matter as well as self. While teaching subject matter, she is able to squeeze in the learning of societal norms, such as respect, honesty, diligence, and compassion.
Outside of the classroom, Mrs. Hutton has reached out to students by founding a club for seventh and eighth grade students called
"BACK-UP" (Be A Cool Kid Under Pressure). A club which teaches children that there are ways to have fun without the use of cigarettes, drugs and alcohol. Patti has mentored dozens of young girls in the "Horizons Program" which encourages girls to look deeper in the field of science. Many hours are spent working with the Science Olympiad teams with her teams placing first in the Junior High Conference competitions 8 out of the last 9 years. Her encouragement and support gave recognition to Patti receiving the 2002 "Extra Distance Award" for her a dedication to beyond normal classroom instruction.
Patti works just as diligently with her peers being a loyal member of the CTA, a mentor, senior MAP leader, study group leader, curriculum advisor, as well as her willingness to participate in any fund raising activity the district supports.
Congratulations to Patti Hutton for her hard work, dedication, loyalty, great teaching, and creativity with a lot of love thrown in, as Missouri's Outstanding Rural Junior High School Teacher for 2007.