After a year of online learning, employees and students have returned to the Hill for the 2021-2022 academic year, heralding the return of Educator of the Month for staff members. The monthly program was reinstated this year by Erin Guthe, Dean of Students, in order to recognize Clover Hill employees for their hard work and demonstration of the school’s fundamental ideals. 

Guthe explained her decision to reintroduce Educator of the Month. 

“We didn’t do it last year, so that’s why I thought that we needed to have something to recognize the staff and the teachers for the great things that they do,” Guthe said. “But I think that not having anything last year is what kind of encouraged me to want to get it going again this year.” 

For the month of Oct., Janet Shepherd, a long-term substitute teacher for math at the Hill, was named Educator of the Month. Shepherd believes Educator of the Month will give teachers the sense that their hard work and dedication are recognized by their peers and coworkers. 

“It’s always nice to feel appreciated and be recognized for your work especially in the difficult last two years we have had,” Shepherd said.         

Patrick Stewart, a custodian, was also appointed Educator of the Month in Sept. This is Stewart’s third year working at the school. He received numerous nominations for his work around the school when Clover Hill was understaffed in September. 

According to Stewart, Educator of the Month will serve as an incentive.

“I think it would help to motivate myself, others, and teachers to do a better job,” Stewart said. 

In recognition of this honor, the winner receives a large banner outside their classroom, comp time (two hours of complementary time without being docked from their paycheck), a bag of swag, a duty ticket (teachers have duty stations throughout the building and the ticket gets them out of duty once), a designated parking space and a picture on the bulletin board near the main office. 

Guthe went on to emphasize the importance of teachers to embody the five key characteristics of resilience, respect, accountability, integrity, and empathy. 

“Those five core values that [we believe in] are really important in developing our young people and having our student body exemplify the same thing we want to see in our staff,” Guthe said. “We want to see the teachers and staff here not only set that good example for the students but maintain that as our code.

Each month, Clover Hill will acknowledge an employee for their hard work and dedication to the school. Everyone will be able to see the next Educator of the Month on the bulletin board outside the main office for the next seven months.