Newton Kansan
HALSTEAD —
Timothy J. Warsnak, an American history teacher at Halstead High School,0 has been named Kansas History Teacher of the Year by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History and Preserve America.
“TJ exhibits a deep love for history and works to share that with his students,” said Glenn Wiebe, Kansas coordinator for the award. “He is constantly striving to refine his craft through participation in history grants, assisting with curriculum and assessment work and professional learning opportunities.”“TJ’s classroom is filled with problem-based activities, multimedia projects and the extensive use of primary sources,” Wiebe said. “Students work in a wide variety of learning environments and leave TJ’s class as educated citizens.”Warsnak will receive a $1,000 honorarium and will be in the running for the National History Teacher of the Year Award to be selected this fall. Halstead High School’s library will receive a core archive of history books and materials from the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.Warsnak has been teaching for eleven years and has taught at Halstead High School since 2000. Now in its fifth year, the History Teacher of the Year Award is designed to promote and celebrate the teaching of American history in classrooms across the United States. It honors one exceptional K-12 teacher of American history from each state and U.S. territory. This year, only middle and high school teachers were eligible for nomination. The selection of the state winner is based upon several criteria, including: at least three years of classroom experience in teaching American history; a deep career commitment to teaching American history, which includes local and state history; evidence of creativity and imagination in the classroom that address literacy and content beyond state standards; close attention to primary documents, artifacts, historic sites, and other primary materials of history, including oral history; and evidence of thoughtful assessment of student achievement.
