Published: October 23, 2009 02:11 pm      

Hamm teacher of the year

Corbin's Melissa Evans Middle School TOY

FRANKFORT — Durell “Butch” Hamm, an English and communications teacher at Larry A. Ryle High School in Boone County, has been named Kentucky’s Teacher of the Year.

Hamm was honored – along with Melissa Evans from Corbin as Middle School Teacher of the Year and Jan Vaughn Horn of Clark County as the Elementary School Teacher of the Year – at a ceremony Friday sponsored by Ashland, Inc.

Hamm won a $10,000 cash prize as well as a sabbatical financed by the Kentucky Department of Education. Evans and Horn received $3,000 checks.

In all, 24 Kentucky teachers were recognized as 2010 Ashland Teacher Achievement Award Winners. Among the 24 were Sally Robinson, teacher at Berea Community High School; James Carrier, teacher at McKinney Elementary in Lincoln County; Jennifer Chaplin of Monticello High School; Anita Laney of Elliott County High School; and Melissa Singleton of Rockcastle County Middle School. Each of the 24 nominees received a $500 prize.

Hamm earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Morehead State University and library media services certification from Marshall University and a Rank I certification from Wayne State University. He received a Kentucky Distinguished Teacher Award from the Presidential Scholars and U.S. Department of Education and Excellence in Teaching Award from Campbellsville University.

Evans has taught for 16 years, most of them teaching science and language arts. She earned bachelor’s and masters degrees and her Rank I certification from Union College. But she deflected individual praise, instead sharing credit with her colleagues.

“It’s a really big honor,” Evans said. “But I feel like it’s shared with everyone in my district. It’s hard to really stand out in Corbin because you’re around so many excellent teachers. I feel like it’s because of my colleagues who inspire me every day.”

Evans said her teaching style is tailored to her middle school students – a time of life when they experience many changes.

“I don’t really like to lecture middle school kids because you’d lose them inside of five minutes,” Evans said. “So I try to keep them active and busy, hands on and minds on.”

Horn is beginning her ninth year teaching and sixth at Shearer Elementary in Clark County where she teaches language arts to fifth-graders. Horn earned her a bachelor’s degree at Transylvania University and a master’s degree and Rank I from Eastern Kentucky University. She is the recipient of a 2009 Campbellsville University Excellence in Teaching.

According to Helen Mountjoy, Secretary of the Education and Workforce Development Cabinet, Ashland has awarded $575,000 to 375 teachers since 1975.

Gov Steve Beshear was also on hand and said teachers have to be special for parents to entrust their children. They are underpaid, he said, and under appreciated.

“There is no more important job in the commonwealth of Kentucky than a teacher in our classroom,” he said.

RONNIE ELLIS writes for CNHI News Service and is based in Frankfort. Reach him at rellis@cnhi.com. Follow CNHI News Service stories on Twitter at www.twitter.com/cnhifrankfort.