After 16 years of teaching, choral director Aleisa Baker has won the Roberson District Teacher of the Year and will be honored at the school board meeting tonight.
“I interviewed last Wednesday, and they called me with the news that night. I haven’t been able to tell anyone yet, which was really hard, especially keeping it secret from my classes and my family,” Baker said.
According to Baker, the process to become the Teacher of the Year has been extensive.
“We had to create a portfolio that consisted of six essays, each with a very specific topic, such as my teaching philosophy and issues in North Carolina public schools. The portfolio was due on July 9, and was incredibly stressful to make,” Baker said.
The portfolio was just one step in the process which began last year when Baker was nominated by Roberson faculty for the school’s Teacher of the Year. The district interviewed the TOY recipients from each school in the area, including Valley Springs, Koontz, and the elementary schools, before choosing Baker.
Within the county, six teachers, one from each district, remain out of the original 42 candidates and are now competing for the title of Buncombe County Teacher of the Year. The county winner will then and have the chance to move on to the regional and state levels of competition.
Principal Amy Rhoney feels that Baker has a good chance of winning.
“She’s very deserving of this. I understand that she had a very good interview, and we’re optimistic of her winning the county level, if not higher,” Rhoney said.
Representatives from the county will be in Baker’s class tomorrow to observe her teaching, and will be filming her later next week.
One of the many perks of receiving the Buncombe County Teacher of the Year award would be a prize package that includes $1,000 for the teacher and $3,000 for his/her classroom. This, logically, has been a motivating factor for Baker.
“I interviewed last Wednesday, and they called me with the news that night. I haven’t been able to tell anyone yet, which was really hard, especially keeping it secret from my classes and my family,” Baker said.
According to Baker, the process to become the Teacher of the Year has been extensive.
“We had to create a portfolio that consisted of six essays, each with a very specific topic, such as my teaching philosophy and issues in North Carolina public schools. The portfolio was due on July 9, and was incredibly stressful to make,” Baker said.
The portfolio was just one step in the process which began last year when Baker was nominated by Roberson faculty for the school’s Teacher of the Year. The district interviewed the TOY recipients from each school in the area, including Valley Springs, Koontz, and the elementary schools, before choosing Baker.
Within the county, six teachers, one from each district, remain out of the original 42 candidates and are now competing for the title of Buncombe County Teacher of the Year. The county winner will then and have the chance to move on to the regional and state levels of competition.
Principal Amy Rhoney feels that Baker has a good chance of winning.
“She’s very deserving of this. I understand that she had a very good interview, and we’re optimistic of her winning the county level, if not higher,” Rhoney said.
Representatives from the county will be in Baker’s class tomorrow to observe her teaching, and will be filming her later next week.
One of the many perks of receiving the Buncombe County Teacher of the Year award would be a prize package that includes $1,000 for the teacher and $3,000 for his/her classroom. This, logically, has been a motivating factor for Baker.