Manhattan-Ogden USD 383 is pleased to announce that the 2017-2018 USD 383 Teachers of the Year are Angela Bucher from Bluemont Elementary School and Joel Gittle from Manhattan High School.
Angela Bucher is a Kindergarten teacher at Bluemont Elementary School. She received her BS degree in Elementary Education from Kansas State University in 2006 and is currently working on her MS degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a Reading Specialist endorsement from Kansas State University. Ms. Bucher began her career with USD 383 in 2007. She states, “A big part of my life is fulfilled with joy, happiness, and the adventurous world of kindergarten. There’s never a dull moment and I continue to love what I do.”
Joel Gittle is an Instrumental Music teacher at Manhattan High School. He received his Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Massachusetts in 1989. He also has earned a Masters in Music Education (1991) and a Masters in Educational Administration and Building Leadership (2006) from Kansas State University. Mr. Gittle has been a teacher in USD 383 since 1992. “I truly care about how my influence on young people, and the experience they have with me, enables them to make good decisions for their future,” states Gittle.
Each USD 383 school was asked to nominate a teacher to be their Teacher of the Year candidate. The Manhattan-Ogden NEA Master Teacher/Teacher of the Year committee reviewed all of the nominees and selected Ms. Bucher and Mr. Gittle as our elementary and secondary candidates.