The three finalists for Doddridge County Teacher of the Year were announced. They were: High School Math Teacher Marcella Yeater; Middle School 8th Grade Math Teacher Melissa Lesher; and Elementary School 2nd Grade Teacher Marilyn Jett.
Let’s get to know them better:
Marcella Yeater
What is your greatest strength as a teacher? I think my greatest strength as a teacher is the dedication or commitment to planning, implementing, evaluating, and changing lessons and activities to meet the needs of all my students.
What do you enjoy the most in teaching? What I enjoy most about teaching are the students. I like seeing the students make connections between concepts and I love when they can extend those connections to real world applications. I especially enjoy “gotcha” or “ah ha” moments when students are working on learning a new concept or project and they realize their perseverance allowed them to understand the concept or to make the connection to the real world.
What hobbies do you have outside of school? Outside of school, I enjoy spending time with my family (especially my two granddaughters, Callie and Bentlie). I also teach Sunday School and I am a co-leader of a local 4-H club. In the summer, I enjoy geocaching, reading, and crocheting.
Where did you go to high school, undergraduate and graduate school? I graduated from Doddridge County High School, and I earned my undergraduate degree from West Virginia University.
Melissa Lesher
What is your greatest strength as a teacher? My greatest strength as an educator is my ability to be flexible. Every day, teachers are teaching new concepts to students and as a teacher, you must adapt to the situation you face. I’ve learned to always have a back-up plan because even when you think you have a great lesson planned, it may not go the way you envisioned. This year has challenged everyone to work on their flexibility!
What do you enjoy the most in teaching? The relationships that I make is my favorite part of teaching. I enjoy the different conversations with students about what’s happening in their lives, and I enjoy hearing from past students. I’ve also made some wonderful “teacher friends” who have made it possible to laugh, even during a bad day. I respect all of my peers who inspire me to be better.
What hobbies do you have outside of school? Outside of school, I enjoy spending time with my husband and our two daughters. The rest of my time is spent reading a good book.
Where did you go to high school, undergraduate and graduate school? I went to Shenandoah High School (Sarahsville, OH) and graduated from Ohio University.
Ms. Marilyn Jett
What is your greatest strength as a teacher? I strongly believe that being a teacher is not about me. It is about my students and what they need. It is my desire to provide the type of learning they need to move forward in their education. This past year that meant learning an entirely different method of providing instruction. Because the education of our children is so important, I put every effort into developing a virtual program that allowed for students to participate with minimal adverse effects on their academic progress. I do not see this as a strength – it is just what I needed to do for my students.
What do you enjoy most about teaching? I most enjoy getting to know the children, learning about their individual interests, their strengths, their weaknesses, and their fun personalities. I also love seeing the progress they make in their academics.
What hobbies do you have outside of school? Some of my favorite activities outside of school are helping others with things like Cross Country Meets, Tracks Meets, and (of course) the Swim Team which my daughter coaches. My other interests include crocheting, sewing, cooking, and my friends.
Where did you go to high school, undergraduate, and graduate school? I did not travel too far from home for any of this. I graduated from Doddridge County High School in 1980 and from Salem College in 1984. I have also taken my graduate classes at Salem University.