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Sun Prairie teacher named Middle School Teacher of the Year

Kevin Murphy  —  9/05/2008 8:43 pm

SUN PRAIRIE -- While hundreds of students stomped the gymnasium bleachers at Patrick Marsh Middle School in a quickly rehearsed drum roll, State Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster announced that Sandra Kowalczyk was Wisconsin's Middle School Teacher of the Year.

Kowalczyk, of Marshall, a reading specialist for nine years at Patrick Marsh, was surprised and awed to be selected as by the Department of Public Instruction as state's top middle school teacher.

"Wow, I'm really overwhelmed right now. I don't know what I'll do for an encore," she told reporters shortly after the ceremony attended by Sun Prairie's Mayor Joe Chase, State Rep. Gary Hebl, D-Sun Prairie, school board members and district mascot "Curt the Cardinal."

Kowalczyk made the first cut for the statewide honor by being named one of the 100

Kohl Fellowship winners this year but she stood out from the others by her visiting 50 countries on international academic travel missions over the years, winning a Fullbright

scholarship and receiving other professional recognition, said Burmaster.

"She's an outstanding teacher who contributes to the good of the whole school. She

touches children's lives in wonderful ways, she teaches to all children's needs," said Burmaster.

Sun Prairie Superintendent Ted Culver also praised Kowalczyk's teaching prowess.

"She is so connected to her kids and understands them, she's the total package of an excellent teacher," Culver said.

Some of Kowalczyk's students also said she is deserving of the award.

"Before I came to sixth grade I never used to read, I would cry if I had to read. But she made reading really fun and now I like to read," said Monica Miggins, 13, and an eighth grader at Patrick Marsh.

Kaiti Playter, a seventh grader at Patrick Marsh said she developed an appreciation for reading while also getting to like Kowalczyk.

"I love being in her class, because she is so nice about it. She let you switch books if you don't like the one you wantIt's fun having her as a teacher," said Playter, 12.

Education is a family profession for Kowalczyk who credited her mother, Sally, on her 77th birthday, with sparking her early interest in reading and libraries. Kowalczyk's daughter, Sosha Kowalczyk Harper teaches middle school in Waterloo and Kowalczyk numbers four other family members as teachers.

Teaching is a difficult job, which doesn't end at the last bell of the day, instead teachers, bring their work home to prepare for the next day, she said.

"My job is to get kids excited about reading to improve their reading and to get them ready access to booksreading is the foundation of everything," she said.

The Middle School Teacher of the Year honor earned Kowalczyk $3,000 from the Herb Kohl Educational Foundation which had previously awarded her $1,000 for the Kohl Fellowship.

Kowalczyk joins teachers from Oostburg High School, a Kohler elementary school and a Nekoosa music teacher in Madison on Sept. 18 when the state's teacher of the year award will be announced.

Kevin Murphy  —  9/05/2008 8:43 pm