Jason Kuhlman
Central Point Elementary
Central Point, OR

"As a twelve-year-old boy I thought that the most perfect job in the world would involve testing action figures for a toy company. But instead of playing with make-believe heroes, I have chosen to actually be a hero-I have chosen to be a teacher. There are many things that I live for in life. I live for the joy of being a dedicated husband. I live for the pride of being a daddy. I live for the inspirational awe that only 32 seven-year-olds can give. I live to be the role model that many kids crave. I live to cherish the hard moments in life along with the easy ones. I live to leave a piece of myself in all of my students, and to take a piece of them with me. I live to be a hero so naturally I live to teach."

"Jason exemplifies the creative and highly motivated professional teacher that any principal would want to hire. His classroom is a warm and welcoming room with constant activities, creative instruction, and caring but firm guidelines. As a 4th year teacher, Jason has captured both the art and science of teaching. Jason takes our tiny budget and finds extraordinary ways to make lessons come alive. He takes time to get know his students as individuals and get their families involved."

Central Jason's beliefs are to make learning an experience, make learning memorable and make learning fun. In his unique classroom, he makes the effort to transform not only the environment, but the students' everyday lives - to bring the world to Central Point Elementary, and make it all come alive. Woven into this new life are the necessities of mathematics, language arts, fine arts, and scientific study. Everything is integrated through their study of the world. Whether that study involves the rainforests of South America, the Native American tribes of the United States, or the Rockhopper penguins wintering on the Falkland Islands-the class is making memories and those memories are creating learning hooks. Inside Jason's classroom you can find parts of the world you never knew existed. Students learn how things work, and also why. They learn new and exciting things, then turn around and become part of it. In Jason's class, learning is innovative, challenging, and fun for students because he believes that teaching sure is.

Other Highlights:

• Talented and Gifted site coordinator. Organized reinstitution of Talented and Gifted program at my school. Focused on identifying qualified students, enacting in-class modifications, and my teaching weekly after school enrichment meetings, 2004
• Tested new math curriculum. Then facilitated in teaching K-2 teachers in a multi-district setting how to use new adopted math curriculum, 2003-2004
• Organized and taught many classes on how to assess big ideas in primary reading skills, then use those assessments for designing lesson plans. Facilitator to training all primary staff members in district, as well as advisor to administration on testing use, 2002-2003
• Facilitator to training other teachers within school district how to use Star Lab, a portable planetarium, 2002
• Part-time children's pastor at home church, 2001-Present
• Began Teaching, 2000
• Earned Master's of Arts in Teaching as well as teaching license from Southern Oregon University, 2000