Teacher of Year figures students want to learn
Rancho High School calculus instructor Susan Corbett’s favorite aspect of teaching is seeing her students grasp mathematical concepts for the first time.
“I like it the most when I see students working on a problem and all of a sudden they have a light-bulb moment and they say, ‘Oh, my gosh, I can do this,'” Corbett said. “That’s when they realize they like math.”
The amount of that kind of illumination in Corbett’s classroom is one of the reasons she was named Nevada’s Teacher of the Year for the 2006-07 school year by the Air Force Association’s state chapter.
Corbett also teaches geometry at Rancho.
Bob Hale, an aviation teacher at Rancho who is the vice president for education with the Air Force Association’s local chapter, said Corbett’s dedication is unparalleled. “She’s the most driven, focused teacher I’ve ever met,” Hale said.
He said the association considered about 10 teachers from the state for the award. The final decision was made by the association’s state president and the president of the organization’s southwestern region.
Corbett, who has been a teacher for 20 years, was given her award Tuesday afternoon at the local Air Force Junior ROTC building. It comes with a $1,000 check and a personalized leather flight jacket.
Teachers eligible for the award did not have to be affiliated with the Air Force, but Corbett did serve as a meteorologist with the Air Force for four years.
Corbett’s award is just the latest on her list of accolades.
She was named one of the nation’s top 10 calculus teachers by the College Board for the 2004-05 school year. The College Board is a nonprofit that publishes college preparatory exams for advance placement courses taught in high schools.
McKenna James, a senior in Corbett’s class, said Corbett makes lessons interesting, a tough task in the very grueling world of calculus.
James said Corbett insisted that her class sing a remake of the disco song “I Will Survive” during their five weeks of studying for the recent national AP calculus exam.
James said Corbett gives students her all and gets students to reciprocate.
“She’s a fantastic teacher,” James said. “If you’re willing to work, she’ll always be there for you.”
Leonel Morales, also a senior being taught calculus by Corbett, said, “She teaches us to be meticulous about everything. She doesn’t just talk to us about math. She talks about applying for college and how life is going to be.”