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Nelson named 2017 Indiana Teacher of the Year

Last Updated on September 30, 2016 by cassnetwork

(Click the play button above to listen to an interview with Indiana Teacher of the Year Jitka Nelson).

Logansport High School’s Jitka Nelson was named Indiana’s Teacher of the Year on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2016. Representatives from the Indiana Department of Education, including Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz and past Teachers of the Year surprised Nelson, who thought she was on her way to the cafeteria to meet with school administrators about a student.

Nelson, who is originally from the Czech Republic, began teaching at Logansport High School in 2006.

“Right now I teach English/English Language Arts to the English learners,” Nelson says. “I have five classes that I teach everyday. One of those is a developmental reading class where I receive freshman students who are just about on the bubble. They’re just about ready to pass the ISTEP but it didn’t happen for them in the 8th grade so the y come to me for a little fine tuning in their reading skills. So that’s one of the classes and that’s the class that made me so famous. It’s 50 percent EL students, 50 percent non-EL students, so it’s a good mix. It’s like having five classrooms in one room at the same time regarding the reading ability. I have four classes of EL students from freshmen all the way to seniors, at different abilities. I have a brand new newcoming class of students who have just arrived in the United States in the last couple of months.”

“Before that I taught for the Landmark Adult Center for the adult literacy while transferring my credentials. I was also substitute teaching for the Logansport and Southeastern School Corporation. Before that I taught a little bit in Canada. Before that I taught a little bit in the Czech Republic, and somewhere within that time-frame, I also taught a little bit in Russia. It was always some-language related. I have taught the Czech language in Russia, I taught music, which is my other major, in Canada. My native language is Czech.”

She is grateful for the opportunities she’s received from the community, including her experience as one of three Logansport teachers who taught in China in  the summer of 2013.

“Thank you for the support,” Nelson said. “You are the reason I am where I am. You’re the reason I am who I am. All the support that has made me, my gosh, the trip to China has pushed me thousands of miles ahead in my teaching ability and my ‘people-skill’ ability.  Thank you for the City of Logansport because I know there was a lot of city involvement in our trip. It made us superstars and again, it made us better as teachers. My students challenge me every day and that is exactly what pushes me to go and research and find other and different ways to make sure they’re all engaged with me the day after that.”

Nelson will be Indiana’s representative for the National Teacher of the Year, and will be honored at a banquet in November.

See photos from this morning’s Indiana Teacher of the Year presentation here.

 

Cass County Online