{"id":2704,"date":"2016-05-06T14:07:32","date_gmt":"2016-05-06T22:07:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/communications.blogs.kpbsd.k12.ak.us\/wpmu\/?p=2704"},"modified":"2016-05-06T14:07:32","modified_gmt":"2016-05-06T22:07:32","slug":"james-knoebel-2016-bp-teacher-of-excellence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kpbsd.org\/schools\/comm-test\/2016\/05\/06\/james-knoebel-2016-bp-teacher-of-excellence\/","title":{"rendered":"James Knoebel | 2016 BP Teacher of Excellence"},"content":{"rendered":"

James Knoebel \u2013 Soldotna High School
\n2016 BP Teacher of Excellence<\/strong>
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\u201cEvery day I am inspired by the students I work with,\u201d said James Knoebel. \u201cTheir persistence, resilience, and steadfastness to overcome barriers push me to be a better educator and person. I am appreciative of my team members at SoHi that support me as I promote inclusive and dynamic learning environments. I love what I do, and look forward to continuing to foster an atmosphere within our school that promotes self-determination and an appreciation for the whole person.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"James<\/a>
James Knoebel, Soldotna High School
2016 BP Teacher of Excellence<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThis year\u2019s nominees were again, an excellent representation of our staff as a whole,\u201d said Sean Dusek, superintendent. \u201cThey are humble, hard-working and student-centered. I was particularly impressed with how all of the finalists have gone the extra mile for their students and make sure every student they work with know that they are loved.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

James teaches special education at Soldotna High School. He graduated magna cum laude in vocational rehabilitation from University of Wisconsin and achieved his Master of Education in Special Education from University of Alaska Southeast. He has been a teacher for nine years, all in Alaska.
\n\u201cI don\u2019t think there\u2019s a branch of education that calls for more compassion, patience and a refusal to give up than special education. These are children who have difficulty in class and will have difficulty in life later on. Their experience in school sets the groundwork for how they will deal with life\u2019s challenges, most of which require some form of learning. Many of these kids have been told for years they will never be able to graduate high school. It\u2019s critical for them to learn how to learn. But even more, it\u2019s critical for them to learn to believe in themselves.\u201d
\nJames\u2019 students come to him not only with academic challenges, but also behavioral, social and mental-health issues. He is inclusive in the way he teaches, developing meaningful relationships with each child, working to steer them to general education classes for more-typical students and lighting within them the belief that they can overcome difficult things.
\nOne nominator writes: \u201cHe is the most inclusive teacher I have come into contact with in over 20 years of working as an administrator and special education coordinator.\u201dJames achieves a notably high graduation rate with kids who might otherwise drop out of school by helping them become independent. He inspires them to become problem-solvers. Mr. Knoebel\u2019s innovative approach to teaching has not only been recognized locally by students, parents, co-workers and administrators, but also by special education professionals from the state, who have visited his classroom to observe his exceptional work.
\nAs the department chair, he assists other teachers in the Intensive Needs program. He also takes on coaching position for girls\u2019 softball. James has been a staunch advocate for students with disabilities throughout the school and, by his example, has succeeded in changing the culture of acceptance in perhaps the most difficult group of all\u2013teenagers. In his classroom, children learn they can complete school assignments, conquer emotions and navigate complex, often frightening social situations.
\nBut James\u2019 favorite time of year is graduation night. He says, \u201cI get to sit in the audience and watch students I\u2019ve worked with for years, sometimes five or six years, walk across that stage and shake the principal\u2019s hand and hold up their diploma.\u201d Our goal in this life as teachers is to inspire young people to believe they can do it, whatever their own personal \u201cit\u201d is. James achieves that goal every year on graduation night\u2013against odds the rest of us simply don\u2019t have to face.
\nCongratulations, James Knoebel, BP Teacher of Excellence.<\/p>\n

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