Semi-finalist for Maine Teacher of the Year
Bill enjoying a moment last week at the TOY ceremony at the State House
YAHOOOOOOOOO for Bill!!!! Leavitt Area High School Music Educator Bill Buzza has been named as a semi-finalist for 2011 Maine Teacher of the Year. Leavitt Area High School is part of MSAD #52 and serves Greene, Leeds, and Turner. Bill is one of the many outstanding arts educators teaching in Maine.
Two years ago I had the opportunity to visit Bill’s school district and visit the arts classrooms, K-12. Under Bill’s leadership the music education program is thriving. Bill is instrumental in facilitating an incredible Arts Gala Week which takes place each year at the high school throughout many classes. The annual event is taking place this week, March 15-18.
During Arts Gala the visual art department has a massive art display which covers the wall space on the first floor of the school. Throughout the “gala” artists participate in an artist-in-residence program where they work with classroom teachers to connect the various arts to the curriculum being studied in those contents. When I was there dancer Karen Montanaro was teaching mime to a French class who was learning about mime as a French art form. Leland Faulkner and Mandy Houtari were working with English and Theater classes about expressing a character. Poet Paul Janeczko was working in the English classes to improve writing and poetry. There were several other artists as well. Also included were school assemblies where various artists performed for the student body and students that had participated in some of the workshops performed. During the evening the school was open to the public for a celebration of the arts with musical performances and the art show. This event draws 800+ people.
Karen Montanaro at Leavitt Area High School, Arts Gala Week 2008
The next steps of the Teacher of the Year program will include a visitation at Bill’s school, a portfolio, and a 15 minute presentation where Bill will be “teaching a lesson”. All the steps will include the importance of arts education and I am sure Bill will be a great ambassador.
If you’d like to read the first 2011 TOY post that I did please click here. Please join me in congratulating Bill by posting a comment below.
Here is a list of all the semi-finalists:
- Alice Barr Yarmouth High School, Yarmouth, Grades 9-12 Technology Integration
- William (Bill) Buzza Leavitt Area High School, Turner, Grades 9-12, Music
- Kate Gardoqui Noble High School, North Berwick, Grades 9-12, English
- Amy Hediger Poland Community School, Poland, Grade 4, Elementary Education
- Shelly Moody Williams Elementary School, Oakland, Grades 3-4, Elementary Education
2011 Maine Teacher of the Year Nominees
me arts ed 