Cape Chamber honors five area educators

Area teachers were recognized Tuesday at the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce's Educator Appreciation Reception, and five were honored with an Educator of the Year award.

There were 35 nominees for the award. Of those, eight were interviewed, and five were selected, according to the chamber.

Winning were:

• Pat Fanger, Prodigy Leadership Academy.
• Darren Neels, Clippard Elementary.
• Gina Herzog, Blanchard Elementary.
• Libby Wilson, Central Junior High School.
• Brad Deken, Department of Polytechnic Studies at Southeast Missouri State University.

Honorees received the Crystal Apple Award, a $500 check, resolutions of honor from the Missouri Legislature and a copy of a commemorative video shown during the event.

After the video was shown, the recipients took the stage for their remarks and were presented with the resolutions by state Reps. Kathy Swan and Donna Lichtenegger.

Fanger, a fifth- and sixth-grade teacher, said she became an educator for a different reason than most people.

"I became an educator because I really didn't have teachers that I liked, and I knew I could be a different type of a teacher than those teachers I had experienced," she said.

Every day, she's excited to go to work, Fanger said. And she tries to find ways students want to learn, such as through singing and dancing and other activities.

"When you give kids freedom to learn, it is pretty cool to see what they come up with," she said.

Herzog, a fourth-grade teacher, said she knew she wanted to be a teacher when she became a mother.

"I think people might think that being a teacher, you have to be a certain way to be a teacher or you might have to have a certain personality," she said. "There are all kinds of personalities. I'm more of a quiet person, but when I'm in the classroom, the kids know that I love them. They know that I'm going to teach them everything I can.

"I always tell my students, 'Do the very best you can. Nobody's perfect; just do your very best.'"

Neels, a physical education teacher, said sports and fitness have always been his biggest hobbies.

"So, it's really neat to be able to bring something that's already so ingrained into my daily habits and get to go to work with that every day," he said.

Neels said he's probably one of the few teachers who loves noise in his classroom.

"If I hear noise, that means kids are learning, kids are moving, kids are engaged," he said.

Wilson, a librarian, first worked in advertising, but as she grew older, her priorities changed, and it felt more meaningful to be around children, she said.

"I just believe in the magic of reading," she said. "I believe a librarian's role today is to help students find that information effectively and use the tools that are out there effectively and also to collaborate with the teachers so that we can make sure it's continually happening throughout the students' education."

Deken, chair of the Department of Polytechnic Studies, said he's gotten to see and do things he wouldn't have without his job. While he's a quiet person, Deken said he loves his job and the back-and-forth interaction with students.

"It's hard to have an industrial robot and be able to move it around and not just think that's fun," he said. "But then there's fun on a different level as to let's put a whole lot of time and effort into it and make it do something absolutely amazing."

klamb@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3639

Pertinent address:

1333 N. Sprigg St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.