Scott Nilsen wins 2011 North Teacher of the Year Award

          Social studies teacher Scott Nilsen won the 2011 Parkway North Teacher of the Year award. Every year, a panel of PNH facility votes for and recognizes teachers who go beyond the call of duty.
          Every year, the facility nominates teachers, and then a panel of staff members narrows it down to one winner.  The other nominated teachers on the list of three were business teacher Jim Parks, and ESOL teacher Jill Morey.
           “Both of them are excellent teachers,” said Nilsen.  “We’ve got a school of really good teachers that I learn from all the time.”
          Parkway North consists of 175 staff members. Only a handful of staff members are nominated for this award and only one teacher wins. That teacher then moves to the district level where a selection committee choose the Parkway School District teacher of the year, who will then represent the district in the Missouri teacher of the year program.
           “It a huge honor!” said Nilsen. “I just try to do my job as well as I can. [Good teachers] think about students, and what’s important for them, and what they need to know, and the best ways to teach them.”
           While this a great victory for Nilsen, it is a great moral booster for the Social Studies department.
           “When ever someone in your department wins, the excitement trickles down,” said social studies teacher Amy Thornhill.
          “As a department, we support each other,” said social studies teacher Melody Barger.
           An element to great teaching, is great character.
           “He’s a great overall guy,” said Thornhill, who says Nilsen does great things.
           Nilsen has been teaching at North since 2008.

By Brandon Fredman