Washington (CNN) - President Barack Obama named a Johnston, Iowa, English teacher as the U.S. Teacher of the Year on Thursday during a White House ceremony.
Sarah Brown Wessling of Johnston High School received the award for her commitment and excellence in inspiring students to learn and grow, Obama said.
He quoted a student who said there was "no discussion fruitless, no assignment pointless and not one day was boring" in Wessling's class.
"I'm not sure I could have said that when I was in school," Obama said.
Wessling has taught for 10 years at Johnston High School, where she is chairperson of the English Department.
"When I look in a classroom, I see a story in every learner, unique and yearning to be read," Wessling wrote in her application. "Creating a community for learning means creating more than a classroom, it means constantly intertwining our stories in a way that reveals our potential."
From CNN Politics
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertising practices | Advertise with us | About us | Work for us | Help
Teachers are so important to our society. I'm glad we continue to honor great teachers in this way! Congratulations Ms. Wessling!
That's swell!!!!!
Wonderful another good classroom teacher lost. She will do a tour, write a book, maybe start her own school, and not see a classroom again.
I believe is a good thing to appreciate those teachers who take there time to show students how to read and write!!!!!
Thank God for our great teachers, we need more.
I was a student of Ms. Wessling's 5 years ago and to this day I can still remember most of everything she taught me – which is more than I can say for any of my other HS teachers. She is truly deserving of this award. Congrats!