Excellence in Teaching Awards

2002-2003 Award Winners

 

Michele Merrill is a Health and Human Growth and Development Teacher at Lewis and Clark Middle School and part time faculty member for the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation. Michelle teaches Stress Management and Health Education for the Elementary School Teachers.

About her teaching philosophy, Michelle writes, 'I envision my role as that of a facilitator. I strive to help these future teachers gain a realistic impression of what teaching, especially in an urban setting, will entail. I am here to expose them to a wide variety of topics in health education that will be important to their growth, as well as community agencies that can help them with resources along the way. I hope to establish in future teachers a love for teaching and health that he or she will carry into the classroom and pass on to the young people.

Michelle, in addition to other projects in the community, has been active in the Health Schools for Success program sponsored by the Heartland Division of the American Cancer Society. This program recognized schools that exhibited not only strong health curriculums but also schools that had healthy environments, health promotion programs for teachers and administrators and healthy nutrition options. Indeed, it is primarily through Michelle’s efforts that her school earned the Health Schools Award. This exemplary program, established by Michelle, serves as a model for our teacher candidates.

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Mike Denney teaches Wrestling Coaching Theory, Judo, and Self-Defense Classes. He has been UNO’s Head Wrestling Coach for the past 23 seasons finishing in the top three of division II an unprecedented 18 times and being named Division II National Coach of the Year twice in 1981 and 1991. But what some of you may not be aware of is that while coaching is what he does, teaching is what he is passionate about. Mike Denney tells us that, ' I have been teaching and coaching for 34 years, 24 at UNO. I am very thankful to be here at UNO helping to teach and build good people'. I truly love what I am doing and hopefully that enthusiasm is demonstrated each day.

Kris Berg, one of HPER's full time faculty members, writes about Coach Denney, 'As I walk by HPER 206, I often listen to him lecturing to his Wrestling Theory class and I cannot help but notice the gusto and enthusiasm that are trademarks of his personality and teaching style. I see the same energy and love of teaching as I stroll by the windows above the old gymnastics room where he teaches Judo and Self Defense. Apparently Mike teaches extra classes above and beyond his required teaching load most semesters simply because he enjoys teaching them so much. What more could be said about a teacher? The Excellence in Teaching Award was long overdue for this outstanding educator.'

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