“Surreal.” “Humbling.” “Overwhelming.”
Those were some of the adjectives this year’s class of National Teachers Hall of Fame inductees used on KVOE’s On-Air Chat on Wednesday to describe their time in Emporia so far.
Michael Dunlea III, a fifth-grade teacher at Tabernacle, New Jersey, says the recognition is simultaneously at the individual and professional levels.
Tom Jenkins, a retired STEM and science teacher in Enon, Ohio, calls the induction “overwhelming in the best way.”
Dr Camille Jones Ford, a middle school math teacher and department chair in Atlanta, Georgia, was planning to record a video celebrating other teachers — so she was completely floored by her announcement. So were her students.
Michelle Pearson, a social studies teacher at Thornton, Colorado, says she is stunned and shocked, even though teachers got the official word months ago and were unveiled to the country on CBS Mornings last month. A former student was part of the video crew when CBS let her know she was part of the induction class.
Speaking of students, Dr Pascale Creek Pinner, an eighth-grade science teacher from Hilo, Hawaii, says she loves watching her students explore.
Additional activities Wednesday include an open house at the Hall of Fame space inside Visser Hall.
Thursday has the inductees on the road with a trip to Topeka to visit the Brown v Board of Education National Historic Site, then back to Emporia for the annual Emporia Municipal Band concert and root beer float social.
Friday has the annual rededication for the Memorial to Fallen Educators, which will be on KVOE.com/tv from the Visser Hall Skillett Atrium — followed by the official induction ceremonies at the Memorial Union Webb Hall. The On-Air Chat interview will be loaded soon in the KVOE.com Audio Vault.
