Mary Beth Blegen
1996 Teacher Of The Year
Humanities and History
Worthington High School, Worthington, Minnesota
President William J. Clinton,
Mary Beth Blegen, 1996 National Teacher of the Year
The White House Rose Garden -- April 23, 1996
Washington, DC --- April 1996. For over thirty years Mary Beth Blegen has enriched the educational fabric of a small rural community in Southwestern Minnesota. She was named 1996 National Teacher of the Year by President Clinton in a ceremony at the White House where she was honored with the 1996 State Teachers of the Year. At the conclusion of her current school term Ms. Blegen will begin a year as spokesperson for education to the nation and the world.
The National Teacher of the Year Program is the oldest and most prestigious awards program to focus public attention on excellence in teaching. Now in its 45th year, the program is sponsored by the Council of Chief State School Officers and the 75-year-old educational publisher, Scholastic Inc. The National Teacher of the Year is chosen from among the Teachers of the Year from the 50 states, five extra-state jurisdictions, the District of Columbia, and the Department of Defense Education Activities by a committee of 14 leading education organizations in the nation.
"Mary Beth Blegen shows us all what a life-long commitment to education and the future of students can mean for a community," said Gordon Ambach, Executive Director of the Council of Chief State School Officers. "She shows us that education is about understanding -- teachers understanding kids, kids understanding kids and the community members understanding one another."
In her years of teaching at Worthington High School, Blegen has seen her community evolve to one that is no longer as white, as middle class or as conservative. In 1996 more people in her community work in processing plants than work on farms. The students in her history, literature, humanities and writing classes may now come with English as a second or unfamiliar language. She teaches in a community and in a school that are struggling to redefine themselves for the 21st century.
"In Mary Beth's classroom learning becomes real," said Dr. Ernest Fleishman, Senior Vice President of Education at of Scholastic Inc. "Her ability to help students understand the complex relationships that exist in the world merits her selection as National Teacher of the Year." "Scholastic is proud to sponsor the National teacher of the Year Program because we recognize how vital the role of teaching is to our nation's future," said Fleishman.
The walls of this extraordinary teacher's room are covered with posters featuring everyone from Albert Einstein to Martin Luther King to her students' senior pictures or candid shots of life in school. "It's when kids and I work together that something happens -- that ideas take shape," says Blegen. "My goal is to expose kids to a multitude of ideas and situations while asking them to connect, create and analyze."
According to Blegen, one of the biggest challenges that education now faces is how to make school meaningful and relevant to all students. Her philosophy of teaching has evolved over the course of her career to encompass more of the why and how of learning. "We teachers are here to serve the needs of the students, not awaken our students to our own truths," says Blegen. "Public education should offer students one opportunity after another to begin to figure out their world and where they fit in it."
Blegen's childhood in Chamberlain, South Dakota was blessed with teachers who helped her identify and develop her abilities. "Those teachers made a difference for me because they saw something in me that I did not yet see in myself." says Blegen. "I came to love learning and wanted to share that love with kids."
Following her graduation from Augustana College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Blegen began to share that love of learning with her first class of students in Worthington. Several years into her career she took time out for marriage and family but soon found herself back in the classroom she so loved. Now with her own children in college or beginning their careers, one as a teacher, she looks forward with renewed energy to continuing her life as an educator who can make a positive difference for children.
For more information, contact, Jon Quam, Director, National Teacher of the Year Program, Council of Chief State School Officers, One Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Suite 700,Washington, DC 20001-1431, 202-336-7047, jonq@ccsso.org
Mary Beth Blegen's Thoughts on Teaching
