Risco teacher is honored at History Day

RISCO, Mo.-- Missouri's History Teacher of the Year does not teach history.

While Melanie Tipton, who was honored during the annual Missouri History Day, is a communications teacher at Risco High School, her commitment to students and to history is so strong, officials called her an "excellent choice."

Deborah Luchenbill, reference outreach specialist with the State Historical Society of Missouri and state coordinator of History Day for Missouri, said the honor is reserved for those teachers with a "deep interest in working with the students on the History Day program and a commitment to teaching and students. We look for the teacher who has gone above and beyond."

Tipton's interest in History Day goes back to her student days in the Risco School District when she competed in the annual event. In college, according to Luchenbill, Tipton was a volunteer and a judge on the regional, state and even national level.

Following graduation from Southeast Missouri State University with a degree in education, Tipton's history students at Bell City soon became involved in the project, earning their own recognitions. For the past seven years, as a teacher at Risco, she has assisted co-worker Michael Murphy, who was her history teacher in high school and a former Missouri History Teacher of the Year himself, to encourage the district's students to excel.

Excel they have. This year Risco had 53 elementary and high school students compete at the district level in Cape Girardeau. In Columbia six entries finished in the top six, including two first place wins and a second place honor to qualify for nationals in Washington, D.C.

While the students are competing for top honors at nationals, Tipton will compete, too. In addition to being the Teacher of the Year, she is Missouri's nominee for the PBS Teacher of Merit Award, and for the Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year Award.

"We may have a national winner," said Luchenbill. "I definitely think she is a strong contender."

Murphy agrees and has written a letter of recommendation for Tipton for the Behring competition. He praises her dedication to History Day and to the students and her enthusiasm.

"She has been instrumental in our success," Murphy said. "Without her commitment or involvement we wouldn't have the success we have had.

Contending is something Tipton knows all about.

Her first history project was as an eighth grader, when Murphy introduced the students to History Day. She still remembers not only her first topic - Gutenberg and the printing press - but every one she submitted.

The History Day efforts at Risco begin in the fall, Tipton said, when Murphy announces the theme and students begin selecting topics. She emphasizes Murphy is the driving force behind the students' participation, calling herself, "the assistant."

She assists in many ways. She uses her communication classes to teach various writing components used in the history papers from research to bibliographies. "Communication arts and history dovetail nicely when it comes to the historical papers," she said.

For other projects, she will proofread scripts for presentations, make suggestions on captions for the board projects and provide technical expertise on the media projects.

"We don't require the students to do a History Day project, it is all volunteer and all done outside of school hours," Tipton said.

She said the students are proud of their success over the years (the school has won the sweepstakes championship for 17 years). Even the busiest seniors, she added, will tackle a History Day project. "You know a lot of schools have basketball or baseball to hang their hat on, well, History Day has been kind of our thing at Risco," she said, adding the program receives strong support from the district.

Everyone pitches in, Tipton said. Older students will help younger students while teachers, parents and volunteers offer their time. "That makes for some long days and long weekends," Tipton said. "From Jan. 12 to May 10, we had one day off and that was a snow day."

While it is a group effort, all the projects are student-driven. "We are just sounding boards. But it is a lot of fun because you see their creative minds coming to life," Tipton said.

Participating in History Day is one of the reasons she decided to become a teacher, earning her degree in secondary social studies education in addition to now being certified to teach English.

Also, it has become a family project. Her husband, Wayne, also a Risco graduate and History Day participant, volunteers his time. Their son, Noah, has celebrated four out of his five birthdays with trips to the National History Day competition in Washington, and toddler Eli, is also being introduced to History Day activities.

While it is a competition, Tipton said there is much more to the project than winning or losing. The students gain new experiences, develop research skills and learn to present themselves in public.

"It is a way to make the ideas that they read about in text books come alive for them. They understand deeper implications of events. ... It instills a quest to do more. I love to watch them when they are looking for a primary source, it becomes a quest. Then when they have found the answer and are excited about what they found," she said.

Missouri's History Teacher of the Year also encourages other teachers to take part in the competition. She advises them to let the students take the lead with the projects they choose.

"They are going to have a way better idea," she said. "And you have to make it fun. If is not fun they won't do it again."

It is advice she will have to take to heart as she leaves Risco and begins teaching English at the Caruthersville School District in the fall.

She plans to volunteer for History Day and said she wouldn't mind serving as a judge. "And if there is someone down there interested (in the historical paper category)," she said. "I would volunteer to help out."