Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

September 2, 2005

Francis Howell Teacher Chosen
Missouri Teacher of the Year

"Public education today is alive and well—thriving, in fact," says Missouri’s new Teacher of the Year Girard "Jerry" Thornton Jr.

Mr. Thornton, physical education teacher at Warren Elementary School in the Francis Howell School District, was chosen as Missouri Teacher of the Year for 2005-06, state education officials announced today.

"A good education is essential because it gives one the opportunity to make choices, and choices are what we, as Americans, have founded our society upon. Public education is vital because educated people, those who are literate, of good character, and know how to apply what they know to new situations, will be assured of attaining the American dream—the freedom to choose," he said in the written nomination form for the award.

A selection committee appointed by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education interviewed six state-level finalists yesterday (Sept. 1) to select the new Teacher of the Year. Mr. Thornton automatically becomes Missouri’s candidate for the National Teacher of the Year award.

Mr. Thornton is beginning his 16th year in the profession. He has been in his current position at Warren Elementary School for five years and has worked in the Francis Howell School District since 1995.

Mr. Thornton began teaching in 1970 after completing a bachelor of arts degree at Washington University. Five years later, he took a 20-year hiatus from the profession. He ran a summer camp on his farm, teaching youngsters horseback riding and canoeing. Eventually he began shoeing, breeding and racing horses full time. After his daughter entered school, he became involved in her school’s parent-teacher organization and volunteered in the classroom. He decided to reenter the education field and completed his master’s degree in 1996.

"I am a physical education teacher, but physical education is just the vehicle through which I deliver my message. When I go to work each day, I am seeking to impart far more than rules of games and results of exercise. I want my students to know that they do not play games in order to win but to learn. Through games, they learn good citizenship, cooperation, sportsmanship, safety, friendship and loyalty. After the game is over, what should be remembered is not who won but how they played the game and treated others," he said.

"I believe that a good teacher should create a safe learning environment, and I accomplish this through routine daily procedures, and consistent, fair expectations of student behavior. My greatest strength, however, is in the way I teach ‘leadership’ and ‘responsibility.’ I believe that all children want respect and want to be thought of as responsible people. Students have to be shown what responsibility and leadership mean, and then they have to be given opportunities to practice these in a safe environment. Finally, in order to internalize the behavior, children need to be given opportunities to teach it to others."

Mr. Thornton became an educator because of his fifth-grade teacher. The teacher asked him to befriend and tutor a new classmate, and this experience taught him a valuable lesson about the power of inclusion. "I try hard to show my students how to include others, and I warn them of the danger of excluding others because they are ‘different.’ "

He serves as co-chair of the school’s character education committee. "Character education means showing children specifically how to support, encourage and include others in their daily interactions," he said.

Mr. Thornton serves as one of the school’s instructional leaders and is a member of the leadership team. He has mentored new teachers and served as a cooperating teacher for several student teachers. He received National Board Certification in 2004 and has mentored several candidates for the national program. He has completed post-graduate hours from Truman University and holds an administrator’s certificate from Lindenwood University.

He also is active in his community and has organized the school’s "Jump Rope for Heart," a fundraiser for the American Heart Association.

In a letter of recommendation for the award, Patrick McCoy, principal at Warren Elementary School, describes Mr. Thornton as "a life-long learner" and "an extremely skilled educator."

The State Board of Education will honor Mr. Thornton and the five finalists in the Teacher of the Year program at a banquet Nov. 14 in Jefferson City. Each teacher will receive cash awards and other prizes.

The Missouri Teacher of the Year program is conducted by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education with financial support provided by the Boeing Company, St. Louis.