Teacher of the Year is an award given out each year to a select teacher, who exemplifies what it means to be an amazing teacher and role model for their students. Like all years, one teacher from each level of schools in Bernardsville is awarded Teacher of the Year. At Bedwell Elementary, Mrs. Mariani of 4th grade won. At Bernardsville Middle School, Mrs. Russo, who teaches 5th grade Literacy, won. Lastly at Bernards High School, Mrs. Whitlock, who teaches Chemistry, won.
Mrs. Mariani has been teaching since 1999 and started teaching in the Somerset Hills School district in 2000. She is honored to receive this award and be acknowledged for what she does at the school; “All of the Bedwell educators put so much time and effort into helping their students be successful. We all work hard and are truly dedicated to our profession. To be recognized for that is really special.”
She is devoted to her students and giving them the best learning environment she can for the year they have her. Her teaching style adapts to help her students improve in their weak areas, as well as continue to grow in what they are already strong in. She has proven to be a favorite teacher of students who have had her in the past. The devotion for her job and the care for her students has helped Mrs. Mariani be such a successful teacher for over two decades.
She has taught every grade level from 2nd to 5th, but has mainly been teaching 3rd grade. This year is her first year back teaching 4th grade after she taught 3rd grade for the last four school years. Mrs. Mariani enjoys the challenge of teaching different grade levels as she mentions, “I feel I have always adjusted well to the changes and usually have requested to be moved. Each time I teach a different grade it becomes my new favorite.” The amount of work she puts into her job is amazing, but it’s her love for teaching that really allows her to excel at her job and wake up excited to get to work every day.
Mrs. Russo has also been teaching for over 20 years, both at the Elementary and Middle school levels. She is extremely excited to receive the award, “I am truly humbled to be recognized as the Educator of the Year for BMS. I am surrounded by great students, teachers, counselors, and administrators who make it a joy to come to work every day.”
She has been teaching at the middle school for 8 years at the 5th and now the 6th grade level. She teaches Literacy, which is different from all other classes there, as it is two periods in length. This goes to show how special of a teacher she is as she has to keep her students engaged for about an hour and a half everyday. She also has multiple classes, so grading is a lot more challenging as she has around 60 students.
Mrs. Russo previously won teacher of the year at Bedwell in 2010, but didn’t think she would win again. She was amazed when she heard the news: “Honestly, I was shocked to hear my name over the intercom and to see Dr. Brotschul, Dr. Butler, and Mr. Koellhoffer [enter] my classroom to congratulate me!”
A teacher like Mrs. Russo is incredibly deserving of this award because of the time and effort she puts in to help her students be successful. Early middle school is a wild time for all students yet Mrs. Russo is exceptional at connecting with students and helping them in and outside of the classroom.
Ms. Whitlock has been selected for the Governor’s Educator of the Year Award for Bernards High School. This award is highly deserved, as she has devoted much time and energy into her 24 years of teaching at Bernards thus far.
Ms. Whitlock has been teaching for a total 35 years, where she has taught at Mendham and Irvington High School, but her favorite part about Bernards is the diversity she witnesses every day in the classroom. She loves Bernards because of her personal connection with it- her husband and kids all graduated from here- and it’s nice to be part of the community.
Not only does Ms. Whitlock teaches chemistry, at both honors and college levels, but also imparts invaluable lessons to her students. She emphasizes growth and kindness in her classroom, always fostering an open atmosphere that accepts and embraces mistakes. She strives to have students take away from her class a sense of humanness.
In addition, Her favorite part of teaching is familiarizing herself with students. Other recognition she has earned is being the first student council awardee of BHS and being inducted as a faculty member for NHS.
When she found out about the news, she humbly says, “tears were streaming down her face. It was such an honor.” The New Jersey Department of Education recognizes the outstanding contributions of teachers and leaders through various national and state programs each year. These honored educators serve as spokespersons and ambassadors for the profession who are encouraged to help shape New Jersey educational policies and practices that influence their schools and classrooms.