SHORELINE — Shorecrest High School English teacher Andy Barker might not have considered himself a shoo-in for the district’s Teacher of the Year honor bestowed upon him last week, but fellow educators at Shorecrest beg to differ.
“We couldn’t see anyone more deserving,” principal Brian Schultz said.
Barker was recognized for his leadership and excellence in the classroom at a May 2 reception. He began teaching in 1983, arrived at Shorecrest in 1991 and has been affecting his students since.
For Barker, education is all about a belief in children and their potential.
“If it doesn’t make a difference today, it might make a difference somewhere down the line,” he said.
That idea has spread through his work on the Vision Team, a group of teachers at Shorecrest who evaluate their methods and look for ways to improve techniques and support as many students as possible.
Social studies teacher Maija Alves is a co-chair of the Vision Team with Barker.
Alves said Barker is the kind of teacher who can make you feel at ease while learning. Not only has she heard this from students, but she’s experienced it firsthand.
Barker became a National Board Certified teacher in 2002, and later when Alves was going through the same process, Barker took the time to read through her portfolio and offer helpful criticism. Although Alves left that session with red ink all over her work, Barker made her feel good about herself, she said.
“I realized that’s what his students feel like when they leave his classroom,” Alves said.
Barker was a mentor teacher for Alves when she first arrived at Shorecrest four years ago. She described him as kind, a good listener and very intelligent.
“He’s just a genuine person,” Alves said.
A creative writer himself, Barker serves as the adviser for Shorecrest’s literary arts magazine, Tattoo.
The club publishes two issues a year, which is uncommon for high school creative writing magazines. They also sponsor two poetry readings each year.
Barker said he is proud of his accomplishments at Shorecrest, but he owes a lot to the students.
“I always wanted to be in a profession that was people-oriented,” he said.
This, combined with his passion for writing, made teaching English a perfect match. He loves being in the classroom, where there’s “never a dull moment,” he said.
Barker said there are a lot of people with jobs where the time just drags by and they find themselves checking the clock constantly.
He also checks the clock a lot while teaching, but for a different reason.
“For me, looking at the clock is about … getting it all in,” Barker said.
There’s always so much to share with the students, and so much for Barker to learn from them as well, he said.
Schultz said Barker is a teacher who supports all students.
“He sees his role as helping them move forward from wherever they’re at,” Schultz said.
In a profession that deals with a lot of numbers in the form of scores and students, it all means more to Barker.
“Andy sees the kid behind the numbers,” Schultz said.
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