Bedminster Teacher Wins Exemplary Educator Award

He is a six-year Bedminster Township School teacher, with most of those years spent teaching reading and language arts in sixth grade—and now Keith Schoch is also the winner of the State of New Jersey Department of Education 2012 Exemplary Educator Award.

“As I read the qualifications describing the award recipient, I pictured many of our faculty who deserved the recognition,” he said. “I was understandably shocked when my own name was announced.”

“As a teacher, you pour a lot of time and energy into your lesson planning and instruction, when your efforts are publicly recognized like this, it's incredibly gratifying,” he added.

The award is given to a teacher, as nominated by the school district, based on several criteria, including exceptional educational talent as shown through instructional practices, accomplishments beyond the classroom and contributions that are worthy of the spotlight.

“Dr. Robery Otnisky, then acting principal of Bedminster School, nominated me after observing my class engaged in multiple learning experiences, including digital student portfolios and classroom novel discussions,” Schoch said.

“Candidates did not apply, nor were they to have any knowledge of the nominations,” he added.

Schoch has been teaching for more than 25 years, having started his career at Cornerstone school in Jersey City.

“Principal Susanne Chopp encouraged innovation within the classroom, and exploration beyond its walls,” he said. “In fact, she demanded that we be out of the building at least once a week. ‘We have the world’s greatest city in the world just across the river,’ she would say, ‘and these kids need to see it.’”

After two years there, Schoch said, he moved to the Springfield Public Schools, where he was one of the first teachers to use email as a source of communication between schools. In addition, he said, he wrote grants to purchase first generation laptop computers and SMART Boards.

“Those things are commonplace now,” he said. “During my years with Springfield, I also created a school-wide math carnival, Family Chess night and The Quidditch Quiz, a game show based upon the popular ‘Harry Potter’ books.”

Schoch said he enjoys teaching in Bedminster now because of the support of the community and staff, as well as the state-of-the-art equipment they are willing to invest in.

“The citizens of Bedminster take pride in their school, and are willing to invest in the technology, curriculum and staff to maintain state-of-the-art classrooms,” he said. ‘Most of all, however, I enjoy the students. Their enthusiasm for learning motivates me to improve myself as a teacher, and to deliver my best every day.”

Aside from teaching, Schoch said he also presents professional development workshops to teachers on the topics of technology integration, reading and writing. And he writes blog for teachers, including “Teach With Picture Books,” which was recognized by MOFET International as an outstanding Holocaust education resource.

Despite the award he won, for Schoch, just being a teacher is its own reward.

“Just last week, for example, we were sharing student writing as we discussed the topic of elaboration,” he said. “After one student read aloud a portion of her narrative, her classmates broke into spontaneous applause. That was awesome.”

“You work hard to inspire that level of enthusiasm for writing and for each other,” he added, “but when it happens, it still takes you by surprise.”