Oct. 29, 2008 — With discipline and creativity backing up his 30 years of teaching art at Charlotte Amalie High School, Edney Freeman was selected out of four finalists Wednesday as the St. Thomas-St. John district's 2008 Teacher of the Year.
The district's Insular Superintendent Jeanette Smith-Barry announced the selection at a short ceremony held at the Curriculum Center in Estate Tutu, where Freeman and the three other award candidates were honored for their accomplishments and dedication to their students.
"What particularly impressed me when looking through their applications was that all of these candidates support the belief that teaching is a calling," Smith-Barry said. She explained that each of the finalists were recommended by their respective school principals and had to go through a thorough application process before the final selection was made.
"The application had multiple sections, starting with general information — we asked them to discuss any leadership positions they've held, their training, awards they received — and ending with sections asking them to describe their teaching philosophy, and how those beliefs influence what they do in the classroom," Smith-Barry said.
The last section of each candidate's application was given to a five-member committee to review.
"We took apart the applications so that the last sections were separated and given without any names attached to these five individuals to be ranked," Smith-Barry said. "After that came back, then we looked at the other parts of the application about what the candidates had done and ranked that part as well."
This year's finalists were Freeman, Janice Gottlieb-Kennings, Eslyn Green-Gibbons and Jennifer Norford. Gottlieb-Kennings is a reading coach at J. Antonio Jarvis Elementary School. Green-Gibbons is a fourth grade teacher at Joseph Sibilly School and Norford is a Gifted and Talented teacher at Ulla Muller Elementary School.
The finalists said their teaching philosophies all centered on their love of children.
"All children are gifted. Some just need some help with opening up the package," Gottlieb-Kennings said.
Freeman said he draws inspiration from the martial arts, which focuses on discipline.
"My mantra is, when the pupil is ready, the teacher will come," he said. "But you cannot begin to learn until you have discipline."
While Green-Gibbons said she tries to make learning as "fun and interesting as possible," Norford said that she tries to be "eclectic" in her teaching approaching, trying out different strategies to "maximize the learning experience."
Freeman will now face off against the St. Croix Teacher of the Year for the Territorial Teacher of the Year Award, Smith-Barry said.
"That individual's name will then be sent to the national level by Friday," she said. A formal celebration honoring Freeman will be held Nov. 22, Smith-Barry said.
"It's a great feeling," Freeman said after receiving the award. "I love teaching, I love what I do — I love art, number one — and I love kids. This is wonderful."
Freeman, who is also an artist, also recently started the CAHS Recycling Program. (See "On Island Profile: Edney Freeman" ).
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