The Professional

Excellence in educat ion State education department honors CMU alumni for state's top teaching award two consecutive years There's something about the teachers who come out of CMU. They win big. This year's Michigan Teacher of the Year and last year's are both CMU grads – two effervescent, passionate educators who say their time at Central laid a foundation for success. Bobbi Jo Kenyon is the 2012-2013 Michigan Teacher of the Year. Paul Galbenski was 2011- 2012 Michigan Teacher of the Year. The annual award from the Michigan Department of Education honors Michigan's most exemplary educators. Kenyon, '95, received her secondary education degree with a major in biology and a minor in mathematics. She has taught assorted math and science classes at Grand Rapids Public Schools for 16 years, including forensic science, a class she developed. Bubbly and energetic, Kenyon says the biggest thing a good teacher needs has nothing to do with lesson plans. "The No. 1 thing you need is passion," Kenyon says. All good teachers say they care about their students, she says. "You might think, 'I stayed up late last night grading all these papers; of course I care about you.' But kids want you to care about them not just as a student, but as a person," she says. "They are crying out: 'I want to know I matter. I want you to know I'm in ballet or I love to sketch.'" 10 November 2012 • the professional Her education professors at Central taught her that there's no such thing as being the best teacher. Even if an award says you are. "You can always better yourself as a teacher," Kenyon says. "There's no 'OK, I'm there. I'm as good as I can be.' I'm always writing down new ideas, new goals for myself." Impacting students, colleagues Paul Galbenski knows about new goals. He just started a new job, as dean of the Oakland Schools Technical Campus Northeast. He moved down the street a ways, after a long career as a business, management, marketing and technology teacher at the Oakland Schools Technical Campus Southeast. Galbenski, '89 M.A. '92, earned his degree in speech/broadcasting and marketing along with his teaching certificate. He earned his graduate degree in interpersonal and public communication while teaching as a graduate assistant at CMU. Galbenski was the first career and technical teacher ever named Michigan Teacher of the Year. "In my heart, I'm a teacher and a coach," he says. "But with this new position, I can impact not only students, but I'm able to work with my colleagues and share ideas with them." • Bobbi Jo Kenyon in class Hill named outstanding Spanish teacher When Sean Hill started teaching Spanish at Farwell High School 10 years ago, he barely had enough students to fill a second year class. But foreign language can be transformative, Hill believed. He proved it. The American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese named Hill 2012 Outstanding Teacher of the Year in the secondary category. "A lot of kids assume they'll just stay here," Hill says. "I love being able to open up a whole world view for them." Hill earned several degrees from CMU between 2001 and 2008, including two master's degrees in Spanish and secondary education. He helps his students put their Spanish skills to real-life use. A recent class translated documents from Spanish to English for a micro-loan project in Honduras. "The kids loved that," he says. "They had this huge sense of importance. They were doing something real." •

• Cover