Paxson teacher wins award
When Paxson School's students and teachers were called to a spur-of-the-moment assembly by the principal on Jan. 15, they had no idea what it was about.

"We were all in the dark," said Margo Voermans, third-grade teacher.

Then, Principal Webb Taylor Harrington announced that, for the first time ever, a teacher from Paxson had been chosen to receive the 1999 Maryfrances Shreeve Award for Teaching Excellence, presented annually by The University of Montana's School of Education. That teacher was Voermans, who has taught at Paxson since 1992.

"I was absolutely floored," Voermans said. "It's just a tremendous honor."

The $2,000 Maryfrances Shreeve Award was established in 1992 to honor Shreeve, the master elementary teacher, who taught for 37 years in Montana. She died in March 1998.

Voermans will be presented with the award at a gathering of her colleagues - the School of Education's 10th annual Teacher Education Reception - on Feb. 6. The reception also honors several hundred Montana teachers who supervise student teachers and interns from UM.

Voermans was nominated by Teddy Maloof, a counselor at Sentinel High School. Over the years, Maloof had seen a phenomenal number of older students refer to Voermans as one of their favorite and most influential teachers.

"She's one of the most positive educators I've ever met," Maloof said.

Voermans has taught for 31 years, 24 of those in Missoula. Her many accomplishments include proposing and pushing a bill -- now Montana law -- that helps abused children, and serving on the Montana Education Association board. She also has volunteered for local organizations such as A Carousel for Missoula and Camp Mak-A-Dream.

"Margo is constantly pushing the envelope for improving instructional methodology and student motivation techniques," Paxson's principal said. "She is generous with her time, knowledge, expertise and energy .... Margo 'walks the walk' and I learn from her constantly."

Among the letters in support of Voermans' nomination were several from parents, former students and a student teacher.

"One of Margo's strongest attributes is her ability to reach out to each child individually on a daily basis," wrote Jill Rasmussen, who was Voermans' 15th student teacher - or "co-teacher" as Voermans calls them - last fall. "... She makes it a point, and a priority, to talk to each student on a personal level every day. This small and simple goal of Margo's makes the little people in her class feel larger than life and extremely special."

The example she sets for her students and student teachers has a lasting effect, judging by the number who have kept in touch or re-established contact years after being in Voermans' classroom.

Voermans said that recognition like the Shreeve Award is important validation for teachers.

"It's wonderfully uplifting to have the Shreeve family support and recognition of good teaching," she said. "And then to have been picked for that award is just amazing."

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