By: John Fryman
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
john@thevillagereporter.com
Bryan Elementary School second-grade teacher Kamilla Houk has been chosen as the first winner from the Bryan City School District as the Educator of the Year from the Coalition of Rural and Appalachian Schools (CORAS).
Houk, who has spent her entire teaching career at Bryan Elementary School for the last 18 years, received her bachelor’s degree from Trine University and her master’s degree from Bowling Green State University.
For the past 15 years at Bryan Elementary, she taught second grade following a three-year stint in the third grade.
She was one of several Elementary Educator of the Year Award recipients from the area, which also included Archbold, Fayette, and Tinora.
The award was a complete surprise for Houk after being notified by Superintendent Mark Rairigh last December.
“I was shocked and I had no idea about it,” admitted Houk. “I just kind of do my own thing and don’t feel like I do anything exceptional.”
She had no idea who had nominated her for the award.
“I was told that it was an administrative decision, and they had input on this because it’s the first year that Bryan Schools had joined this group,” she noted.
One of the criteria for the award was that nominees had to be elementary teachers.
Rairigh then notified Houk by email, saying he wanted to meet with her — and noted that it was good news.
“I would probably have freaked out (otherwise),” she admitted. “He (Rairigh) wrote ‘good news,’ so I wasn’t stressed. I still had no idea what it was.
“Then he (Rairigh) came in and told me at that point he didn’t know a lot of details. He knew there was an awards banquet taking place.”
Houk didn’t fully understand the award until Rairigh wrote an article in the school district newsletter explaining what the program was.
When Houk and Rairigh attended the awards banquet, she learned what the program is that Bryan was involved in.
“It’s a way for the rural schools to have their voice, especially with all of the school funding issues going on,” said Houk.
“They’re trying to get more rural schools to join so they can have more say. We’re the only Williams County school district that is a part of the program now.”
The hallmark of Houk’s teaching career has been the strong relationships she develops with students year after year.
“I have lots of students that come back or they message me and they want to intern in my classroom or come to see me,” said Houk. “I feel like I have developed a good rapport with families in the community over the years.”
Houk was honored to receive the award, but she honestly felt there were many teachers at Bryan Elementary who also deserved the recognition.
“I have a lot of teachers who have been mentoring me over the years,” commented Houk. “One of those mentors is Lisa Walker, who is also a second-grade teacher.”
Walker has taught her a lot about teaching students over the years.
“We became a team probably about five years ago,” said Houk. “She’s (Walker) the one who kind of taught me the most important thing — those relationships.
“I really look up to her because she has taught me the important things about education and meeting the kids’ needs.”
As second-grade teachers, Houk and Walker plan everything together.
They help each other alleviate some of the workload if they are teaching the same story and reading, so they divide and conquer the workload. They also share their students with science and social studies.
Houk felt that Walker deserved to be a part of the Elementary Educator of the Year Award she received.
“I wouldn’t have been considered for the award if it hadn’t been for her (Walker),” said Houk.
“She (Walker) would have gotten it with me because she is just as deserving and has taught me a lot.”
What does Houk pride herself on most in her teaching career?
“I take the most pride in the relationships that I have built with all the students I have had over the years,” said Houk.
“I love when they come back to visit me, even after they have graduated.”