CONTACT: JIM MORRIS |
Vol. 43, No. 66
September 18, 2009
Washington Elementary Teacher is Named “History Teacher of the Year”
Shirley Hillhouse, a fourth-grade teacher at Labadie Elementary in the Washington School District, has been chosen as the Gilder Lehrman American History Teacher of the Year, state education officials announced today.
Mrs. Hillhouse was one of eight state finalists for the award which is sponsored nationally by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, based in New York City.
Joan Musbach, president of the Missouri Council for History Education, and Bill Gerling, social studies consultant for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, presented the award yesterday (Sept. 17) during an all-school assembly. The honor includes a $1,000 award and an archive of history books for the school library.
During the student-led assembly, students acted as Presidents and First Ladies and quizzed Abraham Lincoln and two pretenders to determine the real identity of the President.
Mrs. Hillhouse has been an outstanding teacher in the district for the last 10 years. She presents the “big picture” to students, primarily through interactive and hands-on activities. Students conduct research and then act out the roles of Presidents and First Ladies in period clothing which she provides from her costume wardrobe. They also work cooperatively on current events that help them understand their role as informed and active citizens. Her students consistently score at the top of the district’s quarterly assessments.
Mrs. Hillhouse also has her students involved in civic and humanitarian activities. Students have been involved in food drives for the needy, sewing an inspirational quilt for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, and raising more than $1,000 to send mosquito nets to Africa to stop the spread of malaria.
Mrs. Hillhouse demonstrates to her students the qualities of a good citizen by being actively involved in her community. She serves on the board of Habitat for Humanity and on the Literacy Council of East-Central Missouri. She directs a summer drama camp and is an adjunct professor at Missouri Baptist University.
Mrs. Hillhouse’s passion for history creates a love for the subject in her students. “My goal is for the students to ‘catch’ my passion for the study of history, and as they develop an understanding of the past, it will motivate them to be responsible and informed citizens,” she stated in her philosophy of teaching.