Middle School Math Teacher Dr. Bevan Koch Named the 14th Clark Faculty Chair


During the Academy's annual opening assembly, Dr. Bevan Koch, Middle School math teacher, was named the 14th Clark Faculty Chair by the Board of Trustees and Head of School Kolia O’Connor.
 
Since 2003, the award is given to a teacher who displays a love of learning, leadership, and a commitment to the community. The award was established in honor of Ham Clark’s 15-year tenure as headmaster of Sewickley Academy and his wife Ceci’s many contributions to the life of the school.

The Clark Faculty Chair honoree is an individual who best exemplifies the teaching qualities that Mr. Clark most admired: a mastery of his/her subject matter, a love of teaching and interacting with young people, and an engaging and effective teaching style. In addition, the recipient is respected by his/her colleagues and the school community, regularly seeks personal and professional growth opportunities, and is fully engaged in the life of the Academy.

This year’s honoree is an acknowledged master teacher. Possessed of an ability to engage with students and colleagues alike, this individual has made a significant impact on the life of the school, both through teaching and through educational leadership. Dr. Koch is generous in supporting the growth and learning of students both during class and before and after school.

It is not possible to “check out” when this teacher is teaching. She is engaging and reaches every student. She does this in a way that builds trust and confidence, so that students really come to appreciate that she is committed to them and their success. She has an enormous range of tools and strategies to support her work in the classroom, the central elements of which are her love of her students and her love of her subject.

A life-long learner, our honoree is a regular participant in professional development activities; moreover, she is terrific about sharing what she has learned when she returns to campus. Her interests lie not just in teaching her subject but in understanding, engaging, and motivating students. As a result, she has participated in opportunities to make the most of our new 1:1 environment and the digital tools that such an environment makes available to her and her students. In addition, she has been an active leader in our establishment of Critical Friends Groups, and she is seen as an expert on pedagogy and not just in her subject.
Our honoree is among that group of teachers who are routinely in attendance at recitals, concerts, ballgames, etc., supporting students well beyond the walls of her classroom. She is sincerely interested in their lives and that comes through in her lively engagement with them.

A master of her subject matter. This year’s Clark recipient has taught all levels of her subject, from Grade 6 through the most advanced senior level classes. She has a B.S. in Math, an M.Ed. in Special Education, and an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership. At her previous school, she was awarded the “Campus Teacher of the Year” for 2011. Since her arrival at Sewickley Academy, she has more than affirmed why she would have received such an award.

Congratulations Dr. Bevan Koch!

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