Coyle named Sioux City Teacher of the Year
By Bret Hayworth Journal staff writer | Posted: Wednesday, February 14, 2007
The front marker board in the room of North Middle School art teacher Sheila Coyle listed several upcoming events.
In Coyle's handwriting, there was the notation that "midterm grades go home" on Tuesday and that seventh- and eighth-graders had a Math Counts event.
On Wednesday was a reminder to wear red and pink for Spirit Day.
But there was nothing about Coyle being named the Sioux City School District Teacher of the Year on Tuesday.
So she was shocked when, as the 1 p.m. period began, her three children, superintendent Larry Williams, fellow educators and a throng of media entered.
After hearing how great a teacher she is from numerous speakers and fielding a cell phone call from a niece in Kuwait, when Coyle was handed a phone with another admirer calling, she asked, "Is it President Bush?"
All the attention gave her a wet, shiny visage, both from Coyle's crying and perspiring over all the attention. So stunned was Coyle at receiving the award that, between laughing and crying, for the longest time she couldn't express more than a few words.
Wearing a black smock with the words "Art Time," pink slippers and with pens and a whistle attached to a yellow flexible key chain around her neck, Coyle said, "I am just shaking."
North Middle employee Gail Haight submitted the letter of recommendation for teacher of the year without Coyle's knowledge, since Haight said Coyle would never assent to it otherwise. "I believe that she would quickly try to convince me that she is not the caliber of educator for such a prestigious award," Haight said.
But Haight said Coyle conveys a passion for learning to students, who frequently have "a complete turnaround with their attitude toward art and their abilities ... This educator genuinely cares about her students and many students return to her long after their middle school years are complete."
Eighth-grader Alexa Valladolid paused from her project of constructing buildings from clay and said Coyle is good at laying out the rough guidelines for a project, then "lets you be free to do whatever you want, be creative."
Valladolid said the interruption of the class for the award announcement was surprising, but Coyle deserved it. "I always look forward to her class. If I'm having a bad day, I'm just happy to go to her class," Valladolid said.
North Middle School Principal Pete Hathaway called Coyle "a champion of diversity," since on the artwork that gets posted on the school's hallways and trophy cases, there will be a listing "from what culture it came and what it represents. I can't thank Sheila enough for what she does to promote awareness and appreciation of diverse cultures -- she is the best we have to offer."
Later in the afternoon, Hathaway pulled up his e-mail in-box and related how many e-mails Coyle sends around to educators in the building. He showed e-mails where she tipped colleagues to a History Channel show on Black History Month, solicited carpet squares for another teacher's class project and touted an upcoming art contest.
"She is always looking out for other people," Hathaway said.
Another special day for Coyle this week comes Thursday when she turns 56. She first began teaching in 1981 after graduating from Briar Cliff College as a nontraditional student near age 30. She had wanted to become a veterinarian as a kid, but turned to teaching, which she said proved to be "not so much of a career, but a passion."
"It is the kids that keep me going," Coyle said. "They give more back to me than I could ever give to them."
Her voice cracking with pride, Kelly Coyle of South Sioux City noted her mother "inspired" her to enter the teaching field too.
Sheila Coyle first taught at St. Michael's Catholic School in South Sioux City, where she taught art and vocal music for 14 years. A hallmark of her mother's teaching, Kelly Coyle said, was Eat Your Art. In Eat Your Art, students would put food coloring on toast, and then consume it.
Sheila Coyle then taught art at Herbert Hoover Middle School, which was closed when North Middle opened in August 2006. She now has about 30 students in the art room for five periods per day, meaning that since she gets new students each quarter, Coyle will instruct art to about 600 pupils in a year -- about half the students in the building in one year.
Bret Hayworth may be reached at (712) 293.4203 or brethayworth@siouxcityjournal.com
In Coyle's handwriting, there was the notation that "midterm grades go home" on Tuesday and that seventh- and eighth-graders had a Math Counts event.
On Wednesday was a reminder to wear red and pink for Spirit Day.
But there was nothing about Coyle being named the Sioux City School District Teacher of the Year on Tuesday.
So she was shocked when, as the 1 p.m. period began, her three children, superintendent Larry Williams, fellow educators and a throng of media entered.
After hearing how great a teacher she is from numerous speakers and fielding a cell phone call from a niece in Kuwait, when Coyle was handed a phone with another admirer calling, she asked, "Is it President Bush?"
All the attention gave her a wet, shiny visage, both from Coyle's crying and perspiring over all the attention. So stunned was Coyle at receiving the award that, between laughing and crying, for the longest time she couldn't express more than a few words.
Wearing a black smock with the words "Art Time," pink slippers and with pens and a whistle attached to a yellow flexible key chain around her neck, Coyle said, "I am just shaking."
North Middle employee Gail Haight submitted the letter of recommendation for teacher of the year without Coyle's knowledge, since Haight said Coyle would never assent to it otherwise. "I believe that she would quickly try to convince me that she is not the caliber of educator for such a prestigious award," Haight said.
But Haight said Coyle conveys a passion for learning to students, who frequently have "a complete turnaround with their attitude toward art and their abilities ... This educator genuinely cares about her students and many students return to her long after their middle school years are complete."
Eighth-grader Alexa Valladolid paused from her project of constructing buildings from clay and said Coyle is good at laying out the rough guidelines for a project, then "lets you be free to do whatever you want, be creative."
Valladolid said the interruption of the class for the award announcement was surprising, but Coyle deserved it. "I always look forward to her class. If I'm having a bad day, I'm just happy to go to her class," Valladolid said.
North Middle School Principal Pete Hathaway called Coyle "a champion of diversity," since on the artwork that gets posted on the school's hallways and trophy cases, there will be a listing "from what culture it came and what it represents. I can't thank Sheila enough for what she does to promote awareness and appreciation of diverse cultures -- she is the best we have to offer."
Later in the afternoon, Hathaway pulled up his e-mail in-box and related how many e-mails Coyle sends around to educators in the building. He showed e-mails where she tipped colleagues to a History Channel show on Black History Month, solicited carpet squares for another teacher's class project and touted an upcoming art contest.
"She is always looking out for other people," Hathaway said.
Another special day for Coyle this week comes Thursday when she turns 56. She first began teaching in 1981 after graduating from Briar Cliff College as a nontraditional student near age 30. She had wanted to become a veterinarian as a kid, but turned to teaching, which she said proved to be "not so much of a career, but a passion."
"It is the kids that keep me going," Coyle said. "They give more back to me than I could ever give to them."
Her voice cracking with pride, Kelly Coyle of South Sioux City noted her mother "inspired" her to enter the teaching field too.
Sheila Coyle first taught at St. Michael's Catholic School in South Sioux City, where she taught art and vocal music for 14 years. A hallmark of her mother's teaching, Kelly Coyle said, was Eat Your Art. In Eat Your Art, students would put food coloring on toast, and then consume it.
Sheila Coyle then taught art at Herbert Hoover Middle School, which was closed when North Middle opened in August 2006. She now has about 30 students in the art room for five periods per day, meaning that since she gets new students each quarter, Coyle will instruct art to about 600 pupils in a year -- about half the students in the building in one year.
Bret Hayworth may be reached at (712) 293.4203 or brethayworth@siouxcityjournal.com
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