2006 Joseph Webber Teaching Award Winner

This is the 12th year for the Joseph Webber Teaching Award to be presented in Missouri, and again the Webber Award winner will be Missouri's nominee for the national prize in June.

Karen Ellison is a real dynamo for History Day. She has been bringing students to the state contest for many years and nearly always has more than one winner come across the stage.

Ms. Ellison is a social studies teacher at Hollister Middle School in Hollister, Missouri -- a small town down near Branson. Her students have advanced to the national competition on several occasions. Her principal said, “She has a consistent quality of 'kids-first' . . . She spends . . . hours of her own time to make instruction successful for all students. Her expectations are consistently high, and students meet those expectations.” Apparently every student in the building is involved with a project and Mrs. Ellison then involves the entire community by hosting a parents' night where each project can be viewed and evaluated by friends, family, and other members of the community.

Congratulations to Ms. Karen Ellison, National History Day in Missouri's Teacher of the Year!