220 Jewett Blvd, PO Box 218, White Salmon, WA 98672 | 509.493.2112
EXCELLENT TEACHER -- Tina Nakae, with two of her students, was named a 2011 Teacher of Excellence by Evergreen State College.
A Trout Lake teacher has recently been honored with a 2011 Teacher of Excellence Award after being nominated by a former student.
Christine (Tina) Nakae has received the 2011 Teacher of Excellence Award from The Evergreen State College. The award honors educators who have made a difference in the lives of their students.
Nakae was nominated for the award by Mariah Smith, who is now a student at The Evergreen State College.
Michael Zimmerman, academic vice president and provost at The Evergreen State College, said, "In an attempt to encourage our students to think about teachers who made a difference, I asked our incoming students to nominate via e-mail the teacher they felt made the biggest difference in their education."
In nominating Nakae, Smith said, "When Tina talks about teaching, there is always a smile on her face. If you were to ask any of her students what they like best about her, the answers would be 'She respects us,' 'You can always count on Tina,' 'She's compassionate to whatever is happening in your life,' and 'It's obvious she enjoys teaching and wouldn't give us or her job up for anything.' She holds her students to high standards and she produces results."
Nakae is one of 40 elementary, secondary-school or college teachers from 11 states and four countries to receive the Excellence Award.
Each teacher receives a certificate and a window decal. Zimmerman, creator of the award, said, "We are reminded every day that teachers change lives. What we wanted to do is encourage our students to think about teachers who have interacted with them in a professional setting and gone beyond the norm -- people who have committed to the process of learning and made the biggest difference in their education."
The Evergreen State College is located in Olympia.
