Our “Apple for the Teacher Tree” open house with the Chamber of Commerce was a great way to celebrate National Education Week at Kump Education Center.
Each new generation has the awesome responsibility of training the next generation to take over the many duties of running a democratic society. The future success of our nation depends on the work of teachers, and we cannot expect artificial intelligence to replace caring human beings in the classroom.
My friend Susan Ellison and I began talking about a way to create an apple tree to honor excellent teachers like her mother who had died. Susan discovered Randall Arbogast who created our wooden apple tree by using computer technology to design and cut wood products. Now the name of Susan’s mother, Evelyn Tolliver, is on the apple in the center of our teacher tree in the KEC Learning Lab.
Soon we began finding people who also wanted to honor beloved teachers with wooden apples. Donors gave $500 for each apple to help support Kump Center. When a donor nominated a teacher, we asked what made each teacher special. What did these teachers do that really helped their students though out life?
Many of the apples on our tree represent teachers who have died, but they left a living legacy with those of us who remember them. Donors have added the names of Dr. Gloria Payne and Dr. Jean Minnick who were innovative professors at Davis & Elkins College. Dr. Barbara Tedford added an apple for an outstanding professor from the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Robert Gale helped her with her graduate studies while she taught at D&E.
Although teenagers often seem to conflict with adults, many of us have found high school teachers and coaches who have been our best mentors. Grace Sundelin honored her high school debate coach with an apple, and I wrote about two of my high school teachers, Miss Emily Barry and Dr. Margaret Goddin.
My son and daughter-in-law honored their interdisciplinary English and history teachers: Jean Jory and Bob Wilmoth.
We are proud to have apples naming Elizabeth and Charles Tinney, two teachers from Tygart Valley High School who were married, but by all student accounts they had very different teaching styles. She was a challenging science teacher, and he was a supportive coach, but their dedication to their students changed many lives in our valley.
K.J. Shaffer is another great high school teacher named on our apple tree by Judy Guye. She is one of many parents and grandparents who recognize that Mr. Shaffer has unusual talent for teaching math. Two more apples that represent vibrant young teachers who take learning beyond the classroom are Lucy Godwin and Sarah Wamsley.
I am running out of room to list all the teachers on our tree, but we have room for more apples on the tree if you wish to add a teacher.
