"It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge," -Albert Einstein.
Crown Point High School is proud to announce Liz Hanlon, as the 2014 Inspiring Educator selected by The Crossroads Regional Chamber. This is the inaugural year for this award that seeks to honor a valued member of the educational community within the geographical areas of Crown Point, Merrillville, and Ross Township school corporations both public and private.
This award, designed and administered by the Crossroads Regional Chamber of Commerce, strives to acknowledge an educator that has demonstrated excellence, creativity, and initiative while challenging their students to reach their full academic potential.
To be considered for the award, the teacher must be nominated and fill out a profile form describing their educational background, community service involvement, and examples of how they have demonstrated support to help students reach their full academic potential. They also list any honors, achievements, awards, publications or memberships received for service to their school, profession or community.
All nominees are requested to attend an after-hours reception at the Crossroads Regional Chamber of Commerce where they will be introduced and asked a list of questions. The nominees then have three to five minutes to respond and answer each question.
Liz teaches special needs students at Crown Point High School and said that her job is to help the kids reach their full potential. She said that every student has a full potential that they can reach and it is different for each student. One student may be learning to count ten dollars and another may be getting a job in the community, but in Mrs. Hanlon’s classroom she helps each one reach their own full potential.
Liz said, “I am just honored and blessed to have this school and all my administrators and supervisors believe in what I’m doing. That’s the key to success, the administrators in the building seeing and believing it and then I can do what I’m supposed to do”.
She started the special needs peer tutor program, special needs cheerleaders and the special Olympics. Liz attended the Crossroads Regional Chamber annual gala, An Evening in Tuscany, on November 22nd with Crown Point Community School Corporation superintendent, Dr. Teresa Eineman and Crown Point High School Freshman Principal, Mark Gianfermi to celebrate the honor of being selected the recipient for this award.