BCC teachers awarded $10k for equipment
Hospitality students surround instructors Jill Young, Deb Ganyard and Molly Mann.
Three Buckeye Career Center instructors will share a $10,000 innovation award to purchase new technology or equipment for the 2020-21 school year. Hospitality co-teachers Deb Ganyard and Jill Young, along with math instructor Molly Mann, won the in-house contest at BCC that was held Thursday, Dec. 12.
The competition required a lab instructor and academic teacher to work together to teach a lesson that met both academic and lab educational standards while also achieving growth on the post-test given to students after the lesson.
The objective of Ganyard, Young and Mann’s lesson was to teach hospitality students how to count change using the smallest number of coins, saving time and money for customers and employees.
The trio used a demonstration that depicted a cashier giving a customer a large amount of change in all pennies, rather than large coins. They used a number line to help students count in increments of five.
Ganyard said she is pleased to have won, considering the competition. “I know all of the teachers who competed, and they are excellent and dedicated. The competition was very tough, but I am especially excited to have had the opportunity to collaborate,” she said.
Young, who is in her first year at BCC, admits she was nervous. “Being new to the BCC staff definitely added to the amount of pressure I felt during the collaborative lesson. I wanted to make a good impression, and I reminded myself that the most important thing is connecting with the students,” she said.
Mann believes the opportunity will help all three grow as teachers. “I loved collaborating with Deb and Jill. Like so many staff at Buckeye, they are so dedicated and care so much about their students. I took away many classroom strategies, and by working with them, I feel I am a better teacher as a result,” she said.
BCC Superintendent Bob Alsept said the competition demonstrated great examples of cross-curricular learning for Buckeye students as five lab instructor/academic teams participated. “We always strive for relevance in our teaching. This project is meant to answer the question, ‘Why do I need to know this?’ I was so pleased by the preparation and detail, but our students are the big winners,” he said. “I hope that this will serve as a model for all instruction.”
The $10,000 award is funded through weighted career technical funding that BCC receives from the State of Ohio. The state requires the money be used to purchase equipment, supplies or technology.
According to Ganyard, the money will help purchase the latest equipment and technology needed to help hospitality students learn to work in a restaurant or hotel. Mann’s half of the money will be used to help further career technical math curriculum.
The competition was judged by Carrollton director of programs Ed Robinson, Claymont Superintendent Brian Rentsch, East Holmes Superintendent Erik Buen and ECOESC Superintendent Randy Lucas.