Janie Bryant
The Virginian-Pilot
©
PORTSMOUTH
Tom Shenk hurried to the center of a first-grade classroom and urged his students to start “body spelling.”
“Let’s spell the word ‘mix,’ ” Shenk instructed as the John Tyler Elementary School children giggled, squirmed and stuck their arms out to their sides while calling out each letter.
The impromptu lesson illustrated why Shenk, whose passion is teaching movement in learning, is one of eight regional Teachers of the Year across Virginia. He won the honor Tuesday for Region 2, which includes Hampton Roads, the Peninsula and the Eastern Shore.
School officials surprised Shenk with balloons and plaques Tuesday morning and heaped praise on the physical education teacher, who also was named Portsmouth Teacher of the Year in April.
Shenk will learn Oct. 14 whether he will be named the state’s 2012 Teacher of the Year. The state winner will go on as a nominee in the National Teacher of the Year Program, according to the Virginia Department of Education.
All eight regional winners were surprised with the news at the same time Tuesday. Other winners are from Lynchburg and the counties of Bland, Caroline, Fairfax, Hanover, Mecklenburg and Roanoke.
Shenk, 43, spent 14 years as a classroom teacher and has been a physical education teacher for seven years. It was when he switched over, he said, that he learned the connection between movement and learning.
“It’s not natural for human beings to be sitting still for more than 10 to 15 minutes at a time,” Shenk said. With movement, “creativity improves along with so many systems in the brain. A lot of research shows there are parts of the brain that go to sleep and aren’t active unless you are moving.”
He’s been promoting the idea of movement in learning to other teachers at the school, who are incorporating such methods in their classrooms. Shenk hopes that as a regional winner and potential state winner, he’ll get to share the message with state officials, too.
He’s already convinced Portsmouth Superintendent David Stuckwisch.
“He integrates research with physical education, and he can back up with research everything he does,” Stuckwisch said. “He influences the entire school, and it’s starting to affect other schools in the division.
“He’s a change agent.”
Cindy Clayton, (757) 446-2377, cindy.clayton@pilotonline.com
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Education
I wonder was the contest open to all educators not just those in the public arena. Being the big fish in a small pond is not all that.
Mr. Shenk is a wonderful
Mr. Shenk is a wonderful teacher & a wonderful person. He's dedicated, hard working & creative. He's the kind of teacher kids remember for years & who inspires these kids to do their best in everything!
according to pilot
According to Pilot this can't be as there is a diverse group in the picture and the Pilot just told me they need to be fm the same race.
CONGRATULATIONS
My child attends JTES and this makes me PROUD. Keep up the GREAT WORK. With that being said, I do support teacher merit pay systems. I would love to get the the per pupil ratio that the school board gets, so that I could send my children to the school of my choice. I have 1 daughter at a private school that we pay over 4000 a year for and their are only 123 students there and they do an incredible job, way better than the public school system. Why does it take over 14000 a year per pupil in the public achool that the privat school does with 4000 a year per pupil? I SUPPORT THE VOUCHER SYSTEM!!!!. Now blast away at me and make me seem like such a horrible person. Go ahead. Just try to prove to me why I am wrong. I LOVE JESUS!!!
Vouchers
I agree with you on merit pay and a voucher system as long as that voucher system is open to EVERYONE and not just those on government assistance. I too have my third grader in private school at $4800 a year and his education and learning abilities is way beyond my expectations. I don't understand (yes I do, it's power) how the system can allow a price tag of $15,000 - $18,000 a year per-student and the result is a national average of educated Americans at a seventh grade level.
I'm just glad
to see a PE teacher, or coach, that is actually in shape. I remember my PE teachers/coaches in high school. Of the four one was in shape, the others obviously preferred eating
Put a smiley face on your
Put a smiley face on your news.
Well Deserved!
My child is a student at John Tyler Elementary, and I can honestly say Mr. Shenk deserves this honor! He is always humble, nice, willing to help, and definitely good with the students.
Congratulations Mr. Shenk.....well deserved!!!!!!