Wood County Schools announces Teacher of the Year
Linda Hindman, fifth from left, the 2023 Wood County Schools Teacher of the Year, stands with her students Tuesday during a surprise visit to her classroom. (Photo by Larry Launstein Jr.)
Linda Hindman, the 2023 Wood County Schools Teacher of the Year, stands with incoming superintendent Christie Willis and outgoing superintendent Will Hosaflook Tuesday at the Board of Education meeting at Williamstown Elementary School. (Photo by Larry Launstein Jr.)
Linda Hindman, the Wood County Schools 2023 Teacher of the Year and an English teacher at Parkersburg High School, proudly stands with the check she received for $250 Tuesday during a surprise visit to her classroom. She plans on using the money to buy more supplies for her students. (Photo by Larry Launstein Jr.)
Linda Hindman, fifth from left, the 2023 Wood County Schools Teacher of the Year, stands with her students Tuesday during a surprise visit to her classroom. (Photo by Larry Launstein Jr.)
Linda Hindman, the 2023 Wood County Schools Teacher of the Year, stands with incoming superintendent Christie Willis and outgoing superintendent Will Hosaflook Tuesday at the Board of Education meeting at Williamstown Elementary School. (Photo by Larry Launstein Jr.)
Linda Hindman, the Wood County Schools 2023 Teacher of the Year and an English teacher at Parkersburg High School, proudly stands with the check she received for $250 Tuesday during a surprise visit to her classroom. She plans on using the money to buy more supplies for her students. (Photo by Larry Launstein Jr.)
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PARKERSBURG -- The Wood County Schools Board of Education recognized Linda Hindman, an English teacher at Parkersburg High School, as the Wood County Schools Teacher of the Year for 2023 Tuesday during its meeting at Williamstown Elementary School.
At the meeting, Hindman said, "I was really genuinely surprised when I saw who I was up against. I really felt like the room was full of really good people."
A committee reviewed more than 200 nominations, pared the nominees to 32 then chose the five finalists. The other finalists were Jessica Farner-Linville of Jackson Middle School, Holmes Marty of Blennerhassett Middle School, Michelle Swisher of Parkersburg High School and Samuel Vincent of Parkersburg High School.
Earlier Tuesday afternoon, Hindman was greeted with a surprise visit to her class at Parkersburg High.
Amid confetti and balloons, Hindman said, "This is really a surprise."
Hindman also was presented with a $250 check as her prize.
When asked about what she thinks about what sets her apart, she said, "I know the five (finalists) were fantastic. I think that everyone who was up for this really has a drive and a passion for teaching."
She said afterward that she had been teaching 10th grade English at Parkersburg High for six years. Before that, she had been teaching English at Van Devender Middle school., and also taught one math class for two years during her time there.
Hindman said that she wanted to become a teacher as a youngster when she would play school. Her father set up a chalkboard in the basement and the kids played school with her playing teacher.
About how that led to her becoming a teacher, Hindman said, "I would say I always thought about what I need to do to help other people learn to do things."
Hindman said she will use the $250 to buy more materials for her classes.
She will represent Wood County Schools at the state level for Teacher of the Year.
In other BOE matters, they voted 5-0 to approve the creation of two new positions for the new cosmetology school under development by the school system and between WVU-Parkersburg.
They also voted 4-1 to approve Jason F. Hughes as the new director of vocational education at the Wood County Technical Center, effective June 16.