Behind every great student is a great teacher. These teachers make spelling and vocabulary fun. They serve as spelling coaches, moderators and judges, but more often than not, they are simply motivators who encourage the students to be the best they can be. In the "Teacher Feature," we celebrate the men and women who educate the youth of our country.
Most of us know Mr. T as a muscular actor from The A-Team and Rocky III, made famous by his distinct mohawk and gold chains. At Oster Elementary in San Jose, California, the name Mr. T paints an entirely different image.
Mr. Jason Tarshis,
a.k.a. "Mr. T." is a fifth grade language arts, history and math teacher at
Oster Elementary. He is also the school's spelling bee coordinator, a position
that he eagerly accepted and continues to build.
"Mr. Tarshis helped a student start a spelling bee club, and he holds mini bees before the school-wide bee," said Geetanjali Panda, a parent at Oster Elementary who nominated Mr. Tarshis for this feature. "He reminds students to not only study the words, but also encourages them to know the origins as well."
Those lessons paid off for Anwesha Mishra (2013-2014) and Jihoo Lee (2015), the most recent Oster Elementary school champions (pictured with Mr. T). However, it's not just the spelling bee that has helped Mr. Tarshis earn the respect of the students and parents.
"Mr. T. is a
cheerful, fun-loving and hard-working teacher who is easily the most well-known
teacher in the district," Panda said. "His teaching really does impact students
and he always encourages students to learn the tips and tricks that will help
them be successful."
The Scripps National Spelling Bee congratulates Mr. Jason Tarshis for being this week's featured teacher, and thanks him for his dedication to the spelling bee program at Oster Elementary.
If you'd like to nominate a teacher for an upcoming teacher feature, let us know. Fill out your contact information at the link, then nominate the teacher on the following page.