- February 7, 2025
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Each week the Port Orange Observer will highlight a teacher nominated for the title of Volusia County School District's 2019 Teacher of the Year.
Spruce Creek Elementary Second Grade Teacher Lisa Bowers, who was nominated for the honor, has been at Spruce Creek for 18 years.
Volusia County public schools each selected a Teacher of the Year in order to vie for the title of Volusia County School District's 2019 Teacher of the Year. This year, 71 winners were chosen by their peers. The current Volusia County Teacher of the Year is Jason Kester, who teaches culinary arts at Mainland High.
The 2019 district Teacher of the Year winner will be announced on Friday, Jan. 12, and will be nominated for the state Teacher of the Year program.
Answers have been edited for clarity and length.
Q: How do you feel to be nominated?
It's a great honor. I've been teaching for 28 years so it's a nice part of my teaching career.
Q: Why did you want to become a teacher?
My father was illiterate, he couldn't read, and it always bothered me that my dad couldn't read. So I wanted to make sure I helped children be able to read so they could read to their children some day.
Q: What is the most challenging part of being a teacher?
Probably having the resources that you need all the time, whether that's books or computers or technology. And just having children coming in prepared with daily aspects from their home life that can interfere with their learning. Sometimes there are so many hats to put on when they come in you try to make that transition pretty easy but sometimes it's difficult.
Q: What's the most rewarding part of teaching?
Seeing the smiles and seeing the 'aha' moments when they dig a little deeper and figure out something, come up with their own questions and start believing in themselves. I had a student last year and he came in my room reading 18 words per minute and by the end of the year he was reading 90 words per minute. He worked so hard. Seeing them setting those goals and reaching those goals, seeing their excitement, that's why I do this every day.
Q: If you could tell students one thing, what would that be?
Set goals and you can do anything, you just have to want it bad enough.
