George Washington Middle School language arts teacher Linda Berg has been selected as Putnam County Schools' Teacher of the Year for 2006-2007.
Berg, a graduate of Illinois State University, will begin her fourth year at GW Middle School this fall. Prior to that, she taught in elementary and middle schools in Illinois.
Since she has been in Putnam County Schools, Berg has served in a number of leadership positions. At GW Middle, she has served as Faculty Senate Chair, a member of the School Improvement Council, the school's Social Committee, and the Natural Helpers Teacher Cadre. In addition, she founded the Peace Keepers Club for students and serves as the Drama Club sponsor. Annually, she coordinates the GW Middle Young Authors and Illustrators writing and publishing contest for students. She is a member of the Central West Virginia Writing Project, the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, and the Professional Educators Association.
In school year 2004-2005, Berg was a Fulbright Memorial Teaching Scholar, and as part of that program, she studied in Japan. That same year, she completed the INTEL Teach to the Future Project and was a Cyrus R. Vance Award Nominee and Honorary Recipient. She was named to Who's Who Among America's Teachers in 2002, 2004, 2005, and 2006, and Who's Who of American Women in 2006. She is currently a candidate for the American Stars in Teaching Award. In 2006, Berg attained National Board of Professional Teaching Standards Certification, one of the most challenging and prestigious certifications in the field of education.
Aside from her work in Putnam County Schools, Berg is sought as a professional development presenter for the Accelerated Reader and Power Writing programs and as a writing improvement presenter for the Central West Virginia Writing Project. This summer, she was a member of a select team of teachers chosen to write lesson plans for the Clay Center arts programs in Charleston.
Berg's educational philosophy is lived out daily both in and outside her classroom, where she uses a positive outlook to enrich the lives of her students. "...I do feel a distinguished commitment to my profession," she states. "My aims are continuously set in helping others overcome obstacles in reaching their own goals. In doing so, I motivate students...to set standards worth reaching. Out of the classroom, I exert extra effort in providing learning extensions for students and families alike," says Berg.
The central metaphor of Berg's life seems to be the stage, and she encourages students to tap into their creative abilities to act, write, speak, and gain cultural understanding and literary tradition. In that vein, she states: "While life is not a drama, it can certainly be dramatic. While it is not a performance, it certainly requires we perform. With life as my backdrop and a class as my stage, I perform every day for the audiences of a lifetime."
