Easthampton teacher takes state history honors

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

BOSTON - Easthampton High School social studies teacher Kelley R. Brown was named the states 2010 Preserve America History Teacher of the Year Friday.

The annual award ceremony, held at the State House, allowed Gov. Deval Patrick and other state legislators the opportunity to recognize the tireless work of several area educators, including Amherst Regional Middle School teacher Floris Wilma Ortiz-Marrero, who was named the states Teacher of the Year.

As the Preserve America History Teacher of the Year, Brown will represent Massachusetts in the national program and is automatically a candidate for the national award.

Teachers are our most valuable resource in preparing children for success, Patrick said at the ceremony. I congratulate Mrs. Ortiz-Marrero and Ms. Brown on their accomplishment and extend our deepest gratitude to them and to their peers for their outstanding service to students across the commonwealth.

Also offering congratulatory remarks to the pair of Hampshire County teachers was state Education Commissioner Mitchell Chester.

Massachusetts is lucky to have many fine educators, and these two individuals exemplify the commitment to high standards and high expectations that we hold for all children, Chester said. To build on our successes of the past, it is critical that we continue to recruit and build a world-class teaching corps who share the skills, training and passion of the educators we are honoring here today.

Brown, a resident of Montgomery, has taught social studies at Easthampton High School since 2001 and now works just a doorway away from her brother, Brian Brown, who also teaches social studies.

She sees her U.S. History class as an adventure that allows students to reach outside their comfort zone and really think. Her classes are based on five core principles: authentic application, critical thinking, rigor and writing, innovation, and student-centered exploration.

Each year, Browns sophomore students participate in a project called A Local Lens: Histories of Easthampton, in which students make their own original contribution to history by producing a 15-page research paper that is archived in the local historical society.

Brown was named the Disney Teacher of the Year in 2006, an award given to teachers across the nation for creativity and innovation in teaching.

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com.