English teacher receives Excellence in Teaching Award

English teacher Miriam Plotinsky was awarded the Excellence in Teaching Award from the Marian Greenblatt Education Fund last week.

The Excellence in Teaching Award is given to teachers nominated for the Teacher of the Year Award who are not selected as finalists but stand out nonetheless. "It's a very prestigious award to get," Assistant Principal Edith Verdejo said.

Plotinsky learned of her candidacy in December after she was nominated by a Blair student. She then submitted letters of recommendation from her department chair and a colleague teacher as well as data that reflected her performance as a teacher.

Both colleagues and students have described Plotinsky, who currently teaches Advanced Placement (AP) Language and Composition in the Communication Arts Program (CAP) and Creative Writing, as a notable teacher. English Resource Teacher Vickie Adamson said that Plotinsky's ability to work with diverse groups of students makes her a valuable asset to the school. "She notes the strengths in all kinds of kids," Adamson said.

Junior David Struewing said that Plotinsky stands out as a teacher because of the strong connections she makes with individuals in her classes. "Ms. Plotinsky is the perfect example of a teacher who builds good relationships with her students," he said. "Trust between teacher and student comes naturally with her."

Plotinsky said receiving the award was a gratifying experience. "Very often when you're doing your job, you don't expect to get thanked for it," she said. "So when you do, it really brightens your day."