Columbia Home & Lifestyle Magazine

Chris Hysong is an eighth and ninth grade math teacher at West Junior High School. He earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics education from the University of Missouri and his master’s degree in curriculum and instruction. He just finished his second year at West Junior, where he teaches Connected Math 8, Integrate...d 1 Honors and Honors Geometry, relating the lessons to other areas of his students’ lives to make the lessons more interesting. He is an active member of the Positive Behavior Support Team and Assessment for Learning Team, and he also sponsors the Chess Club and co-sponsors the Math Counts team. In his free time, Hysong enjoys going to concerts and spending time with his family.

WHAT MAKES MR. HYSONG SO SPECIAL:
"I was a student of Mr. Hysong last year, and I can honestly say I’ve never enjoyed class more. Throughout the year we had to tackle objectives, which were incredibly hard to grasp, yet Mr. Hysong made it seem easy. He always had something positive to say and a way to help me overcome the struggles, which were in front of me. Of all my teachers, I have never been so impressed and had such a great experience in a classroom as I did with Mr. Hysong. It was an honor to be in his class.”
—Rachael L. Starr, former student

“As parents, we trust Mr. Hysong both as an astute teacher as well as a positive adult role model in our daughter’s life. It is easy to send our daughter to school each day knowing that she will be learning and that she will encounter at least one good person each day. It is rare to find teachers as dedicated to Tessa’s education and wellbeing as her father and I. Mr. Hysong’s conscientiousness extends beyond his responsibilities as a teacher.”
—Ann Vellek, parent

“Chris Hysong far exceeds the expectations of a new teacher and should be recognized for that. His energy level matches that of the most motivated students. His knowledge base and personality have made it easy to assume the role of teaching various levels of mathematics from struggling students to the extremely talented ones. He is a natural for West Junior High School; he fits well with the West Junior High faculty and is comfortable engaging students inside and outside the classroom environment within the school day.”
—Michael C. Rowson, teacher

“Upon observation, most people would be surprised to learn that Chris is a beginning teacher. He exudes confidence in his knowledge and abilities without being arrogant and approaches every situation like a true professional. He has an excellent work ethic; consequently, he is not only a reliable faculty member but also a great role model for students. He has proven himself to be an innovative, enthusiastic teacher.”
—Dr. Sandra Logan, Principal

Mr. Hysong received a $100 gift certificate from Ann’s Teacher Store, flowers from Kent’s Floral Gallery and a $100 savings bond from UMB Bank. He also received a $50 gift certificate to Grand Cru.
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Congratulations to Kerri Graham, the June/July 2009 Teacher Feature Recipient. Kerri is a 10th Grade Biology teacher at Rock Bridge High School.

For her first five years at RBHS, she choreographed and co-directed the fall all-school musical and the spring class musical. She was also assistant director for the show cho...irs for two years. Her current leadership responsibilities include: member of the teacher-elected Executive Council, member of the Assessment for Learning Team and leader of the Bioligy Professional Learning Team.

WHAT MAKES MRS. GRAHAM SO SPECIAL:
Kerri Graham is the consummate professional. Her dedication to her students and her colleagues to make them better is unparalleled.
--Tim Wright, Assistant Principal

From the moment she came to Rock Bridge, Kerri has been a leader. For the past two years, she has not only been a member of our school's Executive Council, but she has spearheaded our school's attempt to apply the principles of AFL (Assessment for Learning) in our classrooms. Kerri is a superb model of how to have the highest expectations for students while creating a classroom environment that is warm and student-centered. The fact that she does all of this while raising twins and pursuing a masters degree is remarkable.
--Matt Cone, Social Studies teacherRead More