TodayLocal woman may claim Teacher of the Year honors
Shippensburg Area Intermediate School teacher is one of 12 finalists for Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year.
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Gail Rosenberry teaches fifth grade at Shippensburg Area Intermediate School. Submitted photo
A local woman could be Pennsylvania’s next Teacher of the Year.
Gail Rosenberry, a fifth-grade teacher at Shippensburg Area Intermediate School, is one of 12 finalists in the running for the 2009 title. It is an honor that she says is also very humbling.
“It doesn’t seem real,” says Rosenberry with a chuckle. “It’s a little bewildering. I don’t see myself as any different than other teachers. I just do what hundreds of other teachers do — I teach.”
Perhaps, but she also has qualities that impress SAIS Principal Kris Carroll.
“Gail has a strong commitment to student achievement,” Carroll says. “She has a devotion to children and a strong work ethic. I have the utmost respect for her.”
Last year, Carroll and other principals in the Shippensburg Area School District served on an administrative team, overseen by Superintendent Jacqueline Lesney, that selected Rosenberry as the district’s Teacher of the Year for 2007.
“I think the bottom line with her (Rosenberry) is that she’s consistently an out-of-the-box thinker,” Carroll says. “She has high expectations for all students. If she finds a weakness in a student, she’ll find a way to make that student successful. She goes up and beyond the call of duty for a teacher.”
The finalists
Initially, 30 teachers from across the state were selected as semifinalists by a committee of past finalists and Teachers of the Year. The field was eventually narrowed to 12 — a list that includes three teachers from southcentral Pennsylvania.
In addition to Rosenberry, finalists include Robert Hankes of Big Spring School District and Linda Baughman of Mechanicsburg Area School District, as well as Laura Barthmaier and Ronald Shealer, both of State College; Diane Heitzenrater, Hatboro-Horsham; Marilyn Rothberg, Great Valley; Stephanie Ruby, Gateway; Rebecca Snyder, Greater Latrobe; Timothy Spuck, Oil City; Gary Vetre, Upper Darby; and Charles Youngs, Bethel Park.
The winner will be announced during the 2008 State Teacher of the Year Forum on Oct. 7 in Harrisburg. The theme will be “Heroes: Making a Difference One Child at a Time.”
According to a press release, Pennsylvania’s Teacher of the Year will serve as a spokesperson for teachers across the state and have the opportunity to represent the best in the education field. He or she will also vie for the title of National Teacher of the Year, which will be announced in the spring.
“Pennsylvania teachers represent the best in the education community,” Pennsylvania Education Secretary Gerald L. Zahorchak stated in the release. “By honoring these exemplary members of the teaching profession, we are encouraging all of our teachers to continue to excel.”
Returning native
Rosenberry grew up in Amberson and graduated from Fannett-Metal High School. She earned a bachelor of science degree in education and a master’s degree in special education, both from Shippensburg University, and recently completed her 24th year as a teacher.
Rosenberry spent the first 10 years of her career at Fannett-Metal and the next five in the SASD. She and her family then relocated twice (to Texas and Florida) because of her husband’s job.
While in Florida, Rosenberry returned to the classroom, teaching for four years and earning her certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.
She resumed teaching in Shippensburg in 2003-04.
“We came back because our oldest daughter was starting a family, and we wanted to be involved grandparents,” she says.
Love of learning
Today, Gail and her husband, Michael, live in Orrstown. They have two daughters — Brooke Nordai, who lives in Harrisburg, and Lindsay Cicconi, who lives in Birmingham, Ala. — and two grandchildren — 4-year-old Ava and 22-month-old Max.
“It’s so much fun watching them learn and seeing how they interpret their world,” says Rosenberry. “It’s fun being grandparents. We love it.”
Her love for learning is also the reason she decided to become a teacher.
“I’m interested in learning all I can,” says Rosenberry. “I’m curious, and I enjoy trying to help kids learn.
“Kids learn in different ways. Each student is unique. I believe any student can learn, and I want them to enjoy learning. You just have to have a bag of tricks, because what works for one student doesn’t necessarily work for another. I’ve seen a variety of learning styles, and it’s like unlocking a puzzle. I’m always looking for ways to help.”
