20120705_oru_alumni_names_illinois_teacher_of_the_year
ORU Alumni Named Illinois Teacher of the Year
Oral Roberts University alumni Dawn Davis of Strawn, Ill., was recently named Secondary Physical Education Teacher of the Year in Illinois in April for her outstanding work at Prairie Central High School.
Below is the full story from the Pontiac Daily Leader.
Strawn native receives teacher of the year award
Teacher of the Year
Strawn, Ill—A native of Strawn and former Prairie Central coach and physical education teacher was named Secondary Physical Education Teacher of the Year in Illinois in April.
Dawn Davis, who has taught physical education for more than 25 years, was given the honor by the Illinois association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.
“It was a pleasant surprise. I’ve been really excited about it because it’s a nice recognition. In education, a lot of times you work hard and you try your best, but there aren’t a lot of special awards given out, so it’s nice to be recognized. It’s been a nice boost at the end of the year,” Davis said.
She now is eligible to compete against teachers of the year in the Midwest region before going on to vie for the National Teacher of the Year.
“I don’t know what my chances are but I’m excited to be a part of it,” she said.
Davis received her education from Oral Roberts University, where she was named the Outstanding Physical Education major in 1984.
She received her master’s degree in physical education in 1989 from Louisiana State University.
She went on to achieve the highest certification for a teacher, receiving the National Board Certification in 2010.
“I just like to challenge myself and try new things,” Davis said, about achieving her National Board Certification, which involves a lengthy process of making videos of themselves teaching, writing multiple assessments and sitting for a three hour comprehensive exam on the teacher’s subject area. Davis said that she had also gotten her master’s degree in administration.
“I’m kind of looking into stepping up into that in the next few years, but I really love teaching, so I have a lot of mixed feelings about it because I really love my job,” she said.
Her roots stretch from Washington back to Central Illinois.
“I was born and raised in Strawn and I went to Forrest-Strawn-Wing before the consolidation. I graduated there in 1980. After college, I came home and taught at Prairie Central in the high school in physical education and coached seventh grade volleyball. After taking a year off to work in missions, I came back to teach in the grade school and to coach eighth grade basketball,” she said.
Davis said her mother, Kay Davis, still lives in Fairbury and retired from Westview Elementary after 21 years of teaching.
“I’ve actually gotten the opportunity to teach in every grade level from kindergarten to college. That’s made my career really feel rich and I’m just grateful to get to be around young kids every day and get to teach. It’s a great profession. I love it and I feel very fortunate,” she said.
Davis lives in Morton with her son, Tory, 15.
Dawn Davis, who has taught physical education for more than 25 years, was given the honor by the Illinois Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.
Click here to see the original article at Pontiac Daily Leader.