Sarah Wessling, 'product of Iowa,' named top U.S. teacher
Sarah Brown Wessling won't be in her classroom today, but she doesn't have to worry about getting in trouble.The 35-year-old Johnston High School teacher will be in Washington, D.C., for a White House ceremony at which President Barack Obama will introduce her as the 2010 National Teacher of the Year.
For a woman who deals in words for a living, Wessling said Wednesday that she is struggling to come up with any to describe how "this humbles me and how it honors all the people I work with and the community I care so much about."
Wessling, a graduate of Winterset High School and Iowa State University, has helped students in Johnston learn the great lessons of literature for themselves and learn about life, too.
Her teaching colleagues and a student in her Advanced Placement English class said Wessling's modesty at being singled out just won't do.
Junior Claire Nagel said Wessling's ability to inspire is considerable.
"No matter what you want to learn about, she finds a way for you to learn about it through literature," Nagel said.
Her teaching colleagues and a student in her Advanced Placement English class said Wessling's modesty at being singled out just won't do.
Junior Claire Nagel said Wessling's ability to inspire is considerable.
"No matter what you want to learn about, she finds a way for you to learn about it through literature," Nagel said.
Teacher Rick Brooks said, "She's truly dedicated to the profession, and probably to a level, to be quite honest, that most of us probably aren't."