January 24, 2008
Bowling
Green, Ky. - Three outstanding educators were inducted today into the Gov. Louie B. Nunn Kentucky
Teacher Hall of Fame during a ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda in Frankfort.
The three inductees, chosen by a statewide selection committee, are Jan Kathryn Weaver Lanham of Bardstown, Patrice McCrary of Bowling Green and Shelia Ann Miller of Owensboro.
“Teaching is truly a ‘make a difference’ profession,” Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear said. “It gives me great hope today to be in the company of standout teachers who have been acknowledged for their commitment to the profession of teaching and to the success of all students.”
The Kentucky Teacher Hall of Fame was created in 2000 through a gift by former Gov. Nunn, who hoped to recognize the vital role that primary and secondary teachers in Kentucky play in the education of young people and the positive impact education has on the state’s economy. Western Kentucky University was selected as the home of the Kentucky Teacher Hall of Fame because of its 100-year history in teacher education.
WKU President Gary Ransdell said it was fitting that the ceremony was held in the Rotunda “as our elected officials meet to chart the course for our future. And I firmly believe that education is absolutely the key to that future, a fact recognized by former Gov. Nunn and our current governor.”
Dr. Ransdell said that as a university president, he is aware of the impact primary and secondary teachers have in preparing students. “Students who benefit from the instruction of teachers such as these three we are honoring today have a greater chance of success when they reach the college campus,” he said.
“The inductees truly represent the highest qualities associated with the profession,” said Sam Evans, chair of the selection committee and dean of the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences at WKU. “Through their combined 80 plus years of helping children and adolescents maximize their potential and achieve their dreams, they have positively impacted the lives of thousands of individuals in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and beyond. They have and continue to serve as role model for students and individuals both in and outside the profession, and their commitment to student learning has been exemplary.”
*Jan Weaver Lanham*
Lanham has been principal at Cox’s Creek Elementary School in Nelson County since 2003, but in her 32-year career in education, she has taught in multiple grades in multiple settings, from inner city Columbus, Ohio, to affluent Owensboro and Bowling Green to rural Marion County.
“My journey has been a blessing, as I have had the opportunity to extend the legacy of the educators who inspired me,” Lanham wrote. “Each new direction has provided rejuvenation as I discover links to prior experiences while finding additional areas for personal growth and improvement that can enhance my work with students.”
Lanham lists as career highlights her time as a teacher at L.C. Curry Elementary School in Bowling Green, where she taught with her mother; being the teacher/coordinator of the Marion County Gifted Education Module; being a participant in the Kentucky Writing Project; using a grant to establish the Marion County Youth Chorus; being named Educator of the Year by the Marion County Chamber of Commerce; being named the fine arts teacher at Glasscock Elementary School in Marion County; and being named principal at Cox’s Creek.
Lanham holds a bachelor’s degree in music and elementary education, a master’s degree in education with gifted endorsement and a Rank 1 in administration, all from WKU. She is currently in the joint doctoral program in educational leadership between WKU and the University of Louisville.
*Patrice McCrary*
McCrary has been recognized at the local, state and national level for her teaching. She was named the Outstanding Young Educator of the Year in Bowling Green/Warren County; Kentucky Elementary Teacher of the Year; Kentucky Teacher of the Year and to the USA Today All Teacher Team.
“I am a fortunate person,” McCrary wrote. “For 19 years I have been paid for doing what I love to do – teach.”
McCrary began her career in Fort Worth, Texas, and has spent the last 14 years at Cumberland Trace Elementary in Bowling Green. She has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Blue Mountain College in Mississippi and master’s in elementary education from WKU.
McCrary’s teaching style is characterized by the excitement her students exhibit about learning and by her involvement in her students’ lives.
“When an excitement of learning is the atmosphere in which the students are immersed, then future success is much more of a reality,” she wrote. “I feel at peace with myself when I know 24 students are on the road to success…. I make a difference in our world; and I love doing so.”
McCrary says she shows her students they are important to her by showing them respect and by coming to outside activities, such as ballgames and recitals. “If I am invited to an event in the life of one of my students, I make every effort to be there.”
*Shelia Ann Miller*
Miller began her career in 1960 teaching elementary and junior high music in Daviess County. In 1963, she became the director of the Daviess County High School Choir. During her tenure, she has produced four generations of music lovers and a workforce of music educators and practitioners.
“One of the many blessings of my teaching career has been the joy of teaching the children of my former students, watching them, like their parents, excel in music,” Miller wrote. “Academics are vitally important, but so is the musical part of a young person’s life.”
Since 1960, Miller has conducted her students in more than 1,000 concerts, competitions and stage productions. She encourages her students to find themselves in their music, original ideas and world and to practice integrity and strive for excellence in pursuit of their individual goals and dreams.
During her career, Miller was honored with the Golden Apple award from Ashland Oil Co., the Owensboro Mayor’s Award of Excellence for Community Service, the Elizabeth Munday Recognition honor for community involvement and advocacy for special populations, the It’s About Kids Secondary Educator of the Year Award from Daviess County Schools and was twice named the Daviess County High School Teacher of the Year.
Miller, a graduate of Murray State University, retired in 2007.
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