Hello, my name is Justin Coffey, and I teach Algebra 1 at Dodge City High School in Dodge City, Kansas. This past Saturday I was named the 2016 Kansas Teacher of the Year at a ceremony in Wichita, Kansas! It was a gorgeous ceremony, and I was able to share the moment with about a dozen colleagues from my school and a huge group of family who traveled from Florida, Minnesota, and Nebraska to celebrate the honor with me! I am so thankful for the overwhelming support I've felt my entire teaching career and particularly that night.
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Being named the Kansas Teacher of the Year is a pretty cool honor, but my experience has to be an experience cooler than that experienced by any other KTOYs. See, I was able to be announced as the Kansas Teacher of the Year by the Commissioner of Education and my dear friend Shannon Ralph! Shannon is the 2015 KTOY and she teaches Biology right down the hall from my classroom! For the first time in history teachers from the same building were named back-to-back KTOYs! A couple years ago Shannon and I shared a planning period, and my teaching has never been the same since. It was during this planning period that Shannon and I dreamed, created, and planned our Wild West STEM Camp! We also explored blended learning, technology integration, and countless other education topics during our daily 80 minutes together. I cherish the relationship I’ve been able to build with Shannon, and I look forward to following in her footsteps as the 2016 Kansas Teacher of the Year!
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Part of my responsibilities as Kansas Teacher of the Year are visiting other schools and districts and presenting to pre-service teachers at colleges and universities throughout Kansas. However, I am excited to share these responsibilities with the seven other Kansas Teacher of the Year Finalists. Our team is comprised of teachers from all around the state representing a wide variety of subjects and grade levels! The Kansas Teacher of the Year team consists of: Nona Mason, a kindergarten teacher at West Elementary School in Goodland; Jolene Pennington, a fifth grade teacher at Sunflower Elementary in Paola; Lucinda Crenshaw, a seventh grade science teacher at West Middle School in Lawrence; Anna Sahadeo, a second grade teacher at Riverview Elementary School in Shawnee; Kristoffer Barikmo, a social studies teacher at Blue Valley High School in Overland Park; Shelly Jennings, a second grade teacher at Maize South Elementary School in Maize; and Sheila Koup, an English teacher at Eureka Junior-Senior High School in Eureka. I have already fallen in love with the team! We have already spent a great deal of time laughing and sharing, but we have also already put our nose to the grindstone and got some serious work done! To read more about our team and our backgrounds you can check out our webpage www.ktoy2016.com.
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Although my official duties as Kansas Teacher of the Year do not begin until January, the whirlwind surrounding this adventure has already began! Despite the fact that this week was short because of the Thanksgiving holiday, I conducted three interviews, had a photo shoot, and committed to four speaking engagements! There are a plethora of emotions pumping through my body, but mostly I am simply excited! I am excited by the opportunity to use this opportunity to advocate for students, teachers, and education. I am excited to make connections and relationships with the KTOY team. I am excited to meet President Obama! I am excited to learn and grow from the amazing teachers in Kansas and throughout the United States! My seat belt is fastened, and I’m ready for takeoff!
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This blog will be my sanctuary where I will share stories, photos, and lessons I learn while traveling and serving as the Kansas Teacher of the Year. I hope to offer my followers a place to track my travels and take a peek through this window into my adventures. This will also serve as a place for me to organize my thoughts and record valuable memories that I want to cherish forever. Thank you for your interest in Kansas education, and I look forward to a year full of sharing and learning!
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