Jestel nominated for Teacher of the Year; Top five contestants announced

The Harford County Teacher of the Year program kicked off on February 6, with one nominee from each of the district’s 54 schools. Harford County Public School’s Office of Organizational Development continues to collaborate with the Office of Communications and Family Outreach to annually recognize influential educators of the community.

     Out of the 54 nominees, 33 remained. This is due to the different options that teachers have. According to science teacher Mrs. Christine Jestel, “you have a choice to either go forward with the nomination process, or just feel honored that you were nominated.” So, all in all, there were 21 educators who remained uninvolved, while the others decided to continue on with the application process. 

     Later in the process, they shrunk the number of nominees down to five. The list was eventually released in late February. Many of the teachers are leaders in the science department such as Mrs. Michele Barrie of Aberdeen Middle School, Mrs. Susan Hoy of Edgewood High School, and Mr.  Joshua Weeks of Bel Air High School. The other two candidates are Mrs. Traci Frey, a fifth grade teacher at Jarrettsville Elementary School, and Mr. Michael Brogley, a social sciences teacher at C. Milton Wright High School.

     Out of the initial 54, Jestel was one of the teachers recommended. She “was pretty surprised” when she realized she was nominated for the award and wondered who nominated her. This was her first opportunity to receive recognition for the award. The educator felt that, “since a student had nominated [her], that [she] needed to at least complete the application process.” The application involved essays and write-ups explaining how the teacher is involved in their school community.

     While Jestel was shocked at the opportunity, she credits it to the “energy [she] gives off teaching science.” She is happy that “some students who might not find their home in a sports team or  a club [can] find their niche in science.” The educator focuses on making her students “feel like they are heard and that [she]  will help them personally understand [the material].” While Jestel did not make it to the top five, she is grateful for the nomination and opportunity.

     The school district claims that, “the judging panel had a difficult and unenviable task again this year, with many outstanding teachers nominated for the prestigious award.”