Kathie Davis, a physical education teacher at Southern High School in Harwood, is a finalist for the Anne Arundel County Teacher of the Year award.
The other finalists are Jane Robinson Ciupek of Hillsmere Elementary School, Clayton Culp of Broadneck High School and Amy Weissenburger of Meade High School.
The county winner will be named April 24. The 24 winners across the state will compete for the state title in the fall.
Notably, Southern High has had nominees for the state Teacher of the Year award two out of the past four years.
The previous county nominees were art teacher Michael Bell in 2004-2005 and English teacher Alicia Appel in 2007-2008.
Davis spoke to The Examiner about her approach to education.
Why have so many Southern High teachers been honored lately?
We?ve had some amazing leadership in the building in the past and present, from the principal down to the custodial staff.
Being the smallest [high] school in Anne Arundel County, we strive to be the best we can and try to be better than average. [Southern High has 1,209 students, according to the school system Web site.]
It takes more than a single teacher to have a successful education program.
It takes the whole community.
Why did you chose to work at Southern High?
I chose Anne Arundel County to live in nine years ago when my son was a sophomore in high school.
I selected Southern based on the community.
I?ve taught here for four years and at Southern Middle School for five years.
How do you stay motivated while teaching?
I stay current on the fitness trends.
We have children who are out of shape.
In Anne Arundel County, we?re the forerunners of getting all types of classes for fitness, like walking wellness and weight training.
These are all things that the kids will have to pay for when they graduate.
We?re trying to take a lifelong learning approach to fitness.
