Myken Poorman - PA Teacher of the Year Finalist

We always enjoy watching students succeed in classrooms, but it is also very rewarding to see the teachers who facilitate the success of their students achieve goals and awards. Myken Poorman, an Agricultural Educator at Bellefonte High School, is a finalist in the Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year award. Myken graduated from Penn State in 2006 with a B.S. in Agricultural Sciences and a minor in Environmental Soil Science as well as a M.Ed. in AEE from Penn State in 2009.

Myken was nominated for Teacher of the Year by her superintendent. Once she was nominated she had to apply to determine if she was a semi-finalist. After being a semi-finalist, she had a phone interview, which was used to select the finalists. Once she became a finalist she had more steps to complete before the end of June. Next week, December 9-11, 2018 she will be attending the NSTOY-PA and SAS Conference in Hershey where she will meet the current and past finalists. She will learn more about the NSTOY organization and the 2019 Teacher of the Year will be announced.

If she is selected as the Teacher of the Year she will be fulfilling the following goals throughout 2019:

• Encourage quality education for each individual through quality teaching
• Recognize the excellence and commitment of professional educators
• Promote the image of education through public awareness
• Stimulate the personal and professional growth of our members through their participation in workshops or seminars
• Mentor young people entering into the educational profession

Myken is passionate about giving her student real-world experience and practical application to the concepts that she teaches. "Whether it’s having a wildlife biologist speak about their job or dissecting a ruminant stomach to really understand how food moves through the digestive system as a way of exploring how nutrition is a key factor in animal health, I keep my classes relevant." When her administration observes her classroom, they always enjoy and comment about how her students are engaged with the lesson. She will explain a concept, but also show them the concept. Her classes go deeper into the content so students can grasp an understanding of the material.

Her advice for new and current teachers, "Make your classroom one where students are encouraged to do their best, taught that it’s ok to make mistakes, and challenged to create and think for themselves, and be respectful citizens. Never stop learning! Keep your classes up-to-date, relevant, and relate them to real-world experience."

Myken the TeachAg family at Penn State are so excited for you, and we wish you the best of luck next week at the NSTOY-PA and SAS Conference! Congratulations on being a Teacher of the Year finalist!

Luke Kerstetter

Communications Team Member

Twitter Handle: @Luke_Kerstetter

2020 Agricultural Education Student Teacher