Penns Valley teachers honored

Two Penns Valley Area School District teachers, Dina Howell and Michele Shawver, were honored last Monday in Hershey for being 2016 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year Finalists.

They were among only 12 total finalists from about 500 school districts in the commonwealth.

District spokesman Nate Althouse said they were joined by two students and presented to a group of people about their educational journey.

Howell has been a teacher for 26 years, of which 11 have been at Penns Valley Area.

Althouse said she was a learning or emotional support teacher, but this is her fifth year as a reading specialist in seventh and eighth grade reading workshop.

“When I was recognized for this award, I was both surprised and uncomfortable,” Howell said. “I prefer to keep a low profile. Once I understood that it’s not about me, it’s about being a voice for public education and all of the kids we serve, I felt better about it.”

Howell has a Bachelor of Science degree in special education from Clarion University and Master of Arts degree in reading from Edinboro University.

She was nominated by Penns Valley Area High School Assistant Principal Laura Tobias.

Shawver is in her sixth year with the district and has taught in fourth grade for five years.

This is her first year teaching sixth grade, Althouse said.

“This has been an absolute honor to represent the teaching profession and specifically our district,” she said. “I have had the chance to meet some fantastic teachers this past weekend and feel so pumped about the amazing things that are going on in schools across the state of Pennsylvania.”

The Clarion University graduate was nominated by Assistant Superintendent Sherri Connell.

The teachers spoke with the CDT last school year and said the process to become a finalist took “months.”

They had to complete applications and write essays.

The Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year program is sponsored by the Department of Education and the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National State Teacher of the Year.

As finalists for the award, they have the chance to participate in several programs that help educators shape policy and support college students studying to become teachers.

“To have any of our teachers make it through the rigorous selection process to be chosen as finalists is quite an accomplishment, but to have two of our outstanding educators represented is particularly special,” Superintendent Brian Griffith said in a prepared statement.

Penns Valley Area also boasts the 2012 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year with Tricia Miller, an English teacher at Penns Valley Area High School.

This story was originally published December 13, 2015 at 11:15 PM with the headline "Penns Valley teachers honored."