♪♪ >> "Inspiring," "comforting," and "passionate."

These are just a few of the words used to describe the 2022 Teacher Impact Award winners.

Hello, and welcome to the 2022 awards show.

I'm Keira McGuire.

Over the next half-hour, we'll travel to seven Pennsylvania counties to meet teachers who are making a difference.

I'm excited for you to see what makes each of these educators so special.

>> Major funding for the 2022 Teacher Impact Awards is provided by Capital Blue Cross, who appreciates the unique challenges educators face and applauds their truly tireless efforts and dedication.

Because education has such an important role in promoting good health, Capital Blue Cross is proud to be the health plan partner of choice for more than 85 school districts, intermediate units, and technical schools, covering over 66,000 members.

Capital Blue Cross is committed to the shared mission of improving the well-being of the communities they serve.

And by viewers like you.

Thank you.

>> We begin our journey tonight in Lancaster County.

This teacher is known for her passion and energy.

Meet Tammy Sweeney.

>> Hi.

My name is Tammy Sweeney.

And I teach A.P.

World and U.S. History at Manheim Township High School.

I've been teaching for the last eight years at Manheim Township.

I came to teaching a little bit later in life.

I actually was trained as an archeologist and a cultural anthropologist and, while doing my graduate work, served as an adjunct professor at American University and Gettysburg College.

And that's when I realized I just -- I loved the teaching aspect.

And I was like, "I have to change what I'm doing and go back to school and do this."

And it was the best decision I ever made.

Hardest job I've ever had, but hands down the most rewarding.

With the focus on material culture that you have in archeology, I really do think that that has kind of come into my classroom.

Just looking around my classroom, there are objects everywhere, and having that type of hands-on thing that students can look at, can touch, can feel, and making those connections to the past through the actual objects, I think, is something that has really enhanced my teaching.

I know in our U.S. History class, the very beginning of the school year, we talk about industrialization and the challenges that people faced in cities.

And one thing I do is I get out chamber pots, which of course we all know what chamber pots are used for -- early form of a bathroom -- but the kids don't know what they are.

So I pass them around, and I'm like, "Okay, now look at these.

Examine these.

You know, maybe even stick your nose in there and smell inside.

You know, what do you think these were used for?"

[ Laughs ] And then at the end, when it comes back and we do our guesses, it's always food-related, you know, either for cooking or serving.

And then we reveal what they actually were.

And it's like, "No!"

Wait.

Now make the analogy.

If we have two sumo wrestlers as big as humanly possible putting on all this weight -- right, right, right?

-- who is that in the Cold War?

Who are the two sides?

The U.S. and USSR.

So, "controlled chaos" is probably the best word for it.

During class, we're constantly turning and talking, debating things, coming back as a whole group, talking through things.

They're up and they're moving around, high energy definitely.

That little bit of chaos, I think, is actually a good thing.

[ Laughs ] Whoo!

Alright, guys, give him a round of applause!

>> I loved her class.

I loved A.P.

World.

And I think a lot of that was because of the passion she brought into the room and the energy.

>> [ Laughs ] Wait.

We touched.

What do we do again?

Oh, go!

[ Laughter ] Touch.

You know you're in the right profession when, after the class is over, the kids are still rushing up and being like, "Well, Mrs. Sweeney, what about this?"

and, "Mrs. Sweeney, this totally makes sense because of what happened to me.

I can totally see why that happened."

Just, when they make those connections is absolutely amazing.

It's one of the best professions in the world knowing that you have that kind of impact on young people.

There's a lot of things I love about teaching.

The kids, first off.

You often hear a lot of older people -- my generation and older -- talking about, "Oh, kids these days."

And I often tell them that I'm so glad I'm a teacher because I get to meet and interact with the kids these days, and I've never had more hope in the future than what I do now, getting to see these amazing individuals.

And then more specifically, with the content I teach, too, just having a job where I get to constantly learn for the rest of my life and then share the cool things I find with everybody else?

I mean, that's a dream job.

[ Laughs ] Who wouldn't want to do that?

So, those two aspects together, I couldn't think of anything else I'd want to do.

So, when I found out that I had been nominated and then chosen for one of the Teacher Impact Awards, I was really excited [laughs] 'cause I knew how much my kids would be excited.

It's just exciting to kind of, you know, be able to celebrate something like that.

Yay!

Give him a round of applause!

[ Applause ] Yes, you can sit down.

Thank you.

>> Well, next we are heading to Lebanon County, where a special teacher shares her passion for science, technology, engineering, and math.

Meet Sabrina Ramirez.

>> Hi.

I am Sabrina Ramirez.

I am the K-5 STEM teacher here for Lebanon School District.

I've known ever since I was a little girl that I wanted to be a teacher.

I have a younger sister, and I used to use her all the time.

Just helping her learn and helping her through things that she struggled with brought me joy and got me excited.

So, I have been teaching for about 12 years.

I've taught fourth grade and fifth grade math and science for six of those years and then six years in STEM education for grades K through 5.

When this position came available, the STEM position, I jumped right on it, and I was able to help students code using drones, code using robotic LEGOs.

We got into 3D-printing, and we would figure out what are some problems in our school that we would need to solve and bring in that 3D-printing to resolve some of those issues.

So, STEM is a passion of mine because students are able to bring the real world into the classroom and really understand that what they're learning -- it means something, and it can take them places.

If we just open their eyes to being the creators and opening them to unlimited opportunities this world has to offer, I think that's crucial for our students.

[ Children shouting indistinctly ] >> Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!

[ Shouting continues ] >> If you were to stop into my classroom, it is always very loud.

It's lively.

It's students sharing ideas and thoughts with one another, students being excited to share their learning, and students learning without even realizing that that's what they're doing.

The best is when they yell out, "Miss, I want to be a scientist now," okay?

Because that's not an option for them sometimes before coming to the class.

That's my favorite part.

I hope that when a student looks back at the experiences they learned in my classroom, I hope that they realize their world has expanded, opportunities have become known and aware to them, and that they take that and do something positive for the world.

When I first learned that I won a Teacher Impact Award, I was ecstatic.

I was excited because I know that I put my heart, my soul, my passion into the work that I do every day.

So, it was nice to feel recognized for that.

>> Next, we're honoring an educator in York County who loves to work games into his lessons.

Meet Matt Robinson.

>> Hi.

My name is Matt Robinson.

I'm a business teacher here at Dallastown Area High School.

This my 15th year of teaching business.

I am so incredibly proud to represent business teachers because of just how relevant our content is.

Whether it's accounting or marketing and sales, the content that we cover is going to have an impact on students and their futures -- future careers.

That's why you got to buy the right policy.

You got to get -- Ohh, we got to get the right policies.

Live and learn.

Each class is a little bit different, but for each particular class, we're looking at revenue streams and we're looking at ways to advertise and have an impact on customers and hopefully get through that through some kind of engaging and interacting activity.

It's extremely important for them to collaborate.

I have the room set up in pods so that they have roles and responsibilities and it encourages them to talk.

Now that we're back in the classroom 100% of the time, it's so nice to see them engaging that way.

I love playing games with them.

And I feel like it helps them remember some of the content.

So, whether it's "Family Feud" or I'm able to work in a Wordle -- that's been the big one this year -- of the day, it makes it very memorable for them.

This is for the "Family Feud" championship.

"Name one of the largest insurance companies according to sales and product line as of 2020."

I love seeing the impact on students, their face when they learn.

Whether it was the insurance policy they should have bought or they should not have bought, whether accounting is their future career field, or whether they really don't like accounting, I love that it has an impact on them to help them be more successful in the future.

>> When you walk in Mr. Robinson's classroom, you'll notice students smiling, you'll notice him smiling, you'll notice laughter.

There is a positive rapport with students.

There's a great sense of humor from Mr. Robinson, and you see students just showcasing joy and a love of learning.

I wanted to nominate Mr. Robinson because he makes a great impact on our students here at the high school.

>> Students express consistently that he is one of their favorite teachers.

And you can tell just by walking in his classroom that they love learning.

about business because he's able to make it fun and relevant for them.

He puts in so much time and effort.

>> [ Laughs ] When I learned about receiving the nomination and the award for Teacher Impact, I was honestly awestruck, then a little embarrassed, and beyond proud, beyond proud.

That's why I do what I do.

It doesn't show up in the paycheck every biweekly, but it shows up in the classroom every single day.

>> Now we're heading to Perry County, where a teacher is known as a second mom to her students.

Meet Rosario Eppley.

>> Muy buenos días.

My name is Rosario Eppley, and I am the Spanish teacher here at Susquenita High School.

[ Speaking Spanish ] This is my niche.

This is where I belong.

And I have been here for the past 15 years doing what I love to do.

I grew up in Puerto Rico, born and raised in Puerto Rico.

So I did all of my schooling from kindergarten through 12th grade in Puerto Rico.

So my first language is Spanish, but in Puerto Rico you start learning English in kindergarten.

When I was a little girl, I remember playing with my dolls in the living room at my house in Puerto Rico, playing teacher.

Teaching was not my first profession.

I am a lawyer, and I was a housewife, too, for quite a few years.

And I really got involved when my children came to school.

There was an opening at the high school, and the superintendent came and asked me if I wanted to substitute for that teacher.

And the rest is history.

Here I am.

>> This is the best teacher ever right here.

>> [ Chuckles ] Teaching Spanish I'm very passionate about.

Spanish is a huge language here in the United States because we have more and more immigrants coming into the country.

I always tell the students, "When you enter the workforce, it is going to be a great asset for you to be bilingual and to be able to show that you have the skill."

[ Speaking Spanish ] There are so many moments when I feel like this is my place, that I really belong here.

Every student who walks through this door is welcome.

When they see that you care, you start seeing that student becoming more and more engaged, learning, not only learning about the Spanish curriculum, but also learning how to be a successful citizen in their community.

And to me, that's super important.

And it has happened many times in my teaching career.

We laugh a lot.

We make food.

We eat.

We dance.

We do all kinds of things in here that help us to achieve that level of proficiency.

>> Señora's like the Mom of the whole school.

She's like the mother.

She always cares.

>> They call me "Mama Eppley."

I'm like their second moms.

[ Laughs ] This room, if they need something during the day, if they need a pencil or if they need -- I mean, some of the things they ask me sometimes.

"Do you have, like, a screwdriver?"

or, "Do you have, like, paper?"

or, "Can I borrow your charger?"

Thank you, guys.

You're the best.

Good job.

>> Ooh, can we take some chocolate?

>> You can take some chocolate, too.

Sorry.

[ Chuckles ] I love being their second mom, and I have them, most of them, from 9th grade through 12th grade.

So it's a little emotional when they get to that senior year.

We don't like that.

[ Laughs ] I always want them to remember that I'm always here and I'm always available to them.

Part of them stays with me forever.

>> I wanted to nominate Mrs. Eppley because I recognize what she does every single day of her career and the lives she touches with the students has really made an impact on the community and even on those after graduation.

>> I was completely shocked that I received this award.

I would have never guessed.

In my world, it's not about me.

It's about my students.

So, very humbled, very grateful to receive this award.

>> Well, now we're heading to Adams County, where our next award recipient is known for his dad jokes and his laid-back style.

Meet Jonathan Makowski.

>> Hi.

My name is Jon Makowski.

I'm a high school English and Journalism teacher at New Oxford High School.

This is my 12th year teaching.

I teach English and Journalism.

When I was in high school, it was my least favorite subject.

I just didn't want to read.

Like, it was one of those things where the teachers would always tell me, like, you know, "This book's great, so you should read it," but I never understood why it mattered.

And for some reason, my senior year, I remember getting "Fahrenheit 451" as the first book they gave me, and I was like, "Alright, I'm just gonna read it.

And I remember reading the whole thing and just being completely enthralled with it.

Like, the concepts and the way it was written, it was just so different.

So my passion kind of came with reaching those reluctant students that don't like to read and don't have a passion for English.

Like, how could I reach them in a way to show them that English is a subject worth studying?

It's everywhere.

It's in music and it's in movies and it's all the things that we do.

Always have to bring that into the classroom.

One of things I try to do is bring in as much of the kids' world as possible.

I really try to get to know my kids.

I try to figure out what they like, what they dislike, and what they're interested in.

And then I try to pull that into my lessons if I can.

So, that can be TV shows, it can be movies, it can be, you know, random songs on the radio or whatever they're listening to.

We have to definitely fight harder to find ways to just make it connect to their worlds.

They have endless stimulation in their lives with their phones and everything that they can engage with at night.

I mean, they can go home and literally spend eight hours on TikTok if they want to.

So you have to find a way to kind of like show them, like, why something matters.

>> Having Mr. Makowski as a teacher has, like, inspired me and made me, like, learn more and do more because having his, like, confidence in me to write and be on the school newspaper definitely made me feel, like, better about, like, my skills.

And he's always there to, like, talk with us and give us advice.

>> They want you guys just to click on things.

And that's also probably a little bit of a product of how you guys are trained to live on the Internet.

Like, you move quickly, right?

So it has to be flashy, it has to get your attention, and you have to be able to go from one thing to the next and move back and forth.

>> He's very funny.

He loves dad jokes.

We have a dad joke tracker up there.

Well, it's mostly to see how many days he can go without dad jokes.

Usually it's zero.

It never really gets farther than zero.

But we all appreciate his humor 'cause it just makes us laugh, even when we're, like, having, like, a terrible day.

Like, some of us come in here and are, like, having the worst day ever, and he just says something.

Like, it makes it so much better.

>> When I found out that I won the Teacher Impact Award, I was definitely surprised at first, and I was curious to figure out who nominated me.

But, you know, obviously I was honored.

I get a little awkward with things like this, you know?

I obviously like the attention, but I don't really like the attention.

The thing I love most about teaching is just the ability to actually connect with the kids.

You know, I don't ever think that I'm, like, all-knowledgeable or that I have all the answers, but I think just taking the time to be able to work with them, to listen to them, and to know that you're making a difference in their lives kind of makes it worthwhile.

Sometimes you're the only one that's actually listening to those kids that day and you're the only one that's recognizing them.

So I think just keeping that in the back of my mind kind of keeps it all going for me.

>> Well, now we're heading to Dauphin County.

Now, this teacher found a love of art at a young age, and it carried him through some really hard times.

Meet Michael Bricker.

>> Hi.

I'm Michael Bricker.

I teach at the drawing and painting classes here at Central Dauphin High School, as well as Photography and Advanced Portfolio Development.

And I am our Secondary Art Department Chair.

This is my 23rd year.

In kindergarten, I listed that I wanted to be an artist.

I guess when I was in high school, I kind of announced that I wanted to be a teacher, as well, put the two things together, and, you know, declared to my parents that, "Hey, I want to be an art teacher."

A big part of why I'm an art teacher is I had a pretty serious childhood trauma with the loss of my brother, and I often turned to art as a mechanism or a vehicle to, like, kind of explore my feelings.

I've dealt with depression to an extent, but largely anxiety.

And I still do.

I mean, I was nervous -- I'm nervous right now.

If I want them to trust me, I need them to understand that I've been through some stuff, too.

I figure what has work best for me as a teacher and a coach is to be open with my students so that they see me as a human being and not just Mr. Bricker.

Yeah, I mean, there's a reason you were drawn to this.

It's more dynamic, it's got more depth, it's more interesting.

So, like, how can -- The challenge for you as the artist then is, "How can I put it somewhere else?

One of the things I'm most proud of is I get to be a part of the students' journey.

Like, the art show's a big thing.

Their family comes and, like, people from the public come and other teachers and other students, but I got to see it when it was an idea, like, that they were just verbalizing from their heads.

I get to see their sketchbooks when they're planning.

So, like, yeah, it's great when, like, there's this culminating moment.

It's kind of like -- in sports, you compare to when you win the big game.

But it's like I get to be a part of, like, the journey.

>> Mr. Bricker likes to connect with with his students on, like, a human level, and, like, get to know them individually and meet them at their needs and challenge them in those ways.

So, while he comes up with lessons that are great for everyone, he finds ways to make it work, you know, for you or for you or for you.

And that's something I really admire about his teaching approach.

>> To receive an honor like this, really, like, knocked the wind out of me in, like, the best way possible.

I do think my young self would be proud of where I am today in terms of saying when I was 6 years old, "I want to be an art teacher."

When I grew up, I was, like, a skinny, scrawny, scared kid, and I think about that a lot as a teacher.

I'm always like, "Which kid needs a little more?

You know, which kid needs that bump or that encouragement?"

Because I was that kid, you know?

I don't think my young self could even begin to comprehend how far it's taken me, though.

The fact that it got me a full scholarship to Penn State for a PhD program -- because I decided way back when I wanted to go into art.

And it's gotten these different art shows, and it's got countless invites to graduation parties and some weddings and, you know, these shows out in the public.

And it all just started with me as a little kid.

It's cool.

>> That definitely is pretty cool.

Our final award takes us to Cumberland County, where a teacher says she never encourages her young students to chase their dreams because that means they're out of reach.

Instead, she says, "Conquer them."

Meet Diane Root.

>> Hi.

I'm Diane Root.

I teach fifth grade at Grace B. Luhrs Elementary School in Shippensburg Area School District.

I was teaching school to my older sister in our basement.

She got a chalkboard for Christmas.

And so I was downstairs playing with it and drawing on it.

She came downstairs and sat on the steps and said, "I want to draw on my chalkboard."

I said, "But I'm teaching school right now.

Would you like to learn something?"

And from that moment on, it just seemed like that's what I wanted to do.

And I actually went all the way through Clarion and was six credits shy of my business degree before my dad said, "Do you remember when you said you were going to be a teacher down in the basement?"

I said, "Yeah."

He goes, "That's really your niche."

I spent an extra year in school, got my degree, and that's where I've been ever since.

I've been teaching 35 years.

I've been teaching here 18 years.

I teach all subjects -- reading, math, language arts, social studies, and science.

I try to integrate them on a daily basis.

The students are doing the talking.

The students are doing the walking.

The students are doing the questioning.

Our team motto this year is "Citius, Altius, Fortius -- Communiter," which is the Olympic theme.

They can tell you what that means.

We chant it almost every day.

So, "citius" -- "faster."

"Citius altius" -- "higher."

"Fortius" -- "stronger."

"Communiter" -- "together."

"Faster, higher, stronger together."

And so what it means to me is we don't put down.

Never put down.

Always build up.

So, if you don't like something, you can say, "I can see your point, and I'd like to offer something else to you."

So we try to learn how to talk and have conversations without being a put-down.

You actually feel that in here.

They build each other up.

And if they're frustrated, they'll tell me they're frustrated and they'll ask for help.

So, the greatest feeling isn't a paycheck.

The greatest feeling is watching these kids grow not by letter grades.

It's watching them grow as a person and setting goals and achieving the goals.

I told them never to chase their dreams because it means that it's out of your reach.

I want them to conquer their dreams.

Alright.

When you see them grow, you want to give more of you.

And so sometimes I end up staying here way beyond contract hours, as people call it.

I sometimes stay here till 6:00 and 7:00 because when you're seeing them grow on a piece of paper or in their stories, you get so excited about that success and you just want to see it continue.

And so my energy comes from the kids.

I love that idea.

Keep up the good work, kiddo.

I know my students are learning and having fun when they're noisy, active and bouncing off of each other.

The level of noise goes through the roof.

They jump out of their seats.

They move quickly to the supplies they are moving to and from each other, getting ideas, bouncing off of each other, asking me for more ideas.

But the vibe is together.

The vibe is fun.

The vibe is "I want to learn.

I want to succeed."

So I try to lighten the load by giving some -- they call them "Root-isms" now.

"Mrs. Root says, Mrs. Root says..." And so some of the parents just say, "Oh, they're Rootisms.

Yeah, we know what those are."

>> Mrs. Root always says that just because you can't see it doesn't mean it's not there.

>> Show me, don't tell me what you can do.

Show me, don't tell me what you're supposed to be doing.

They just come out naturally, you know?

What's the first thing you're going to do at 2:00 with me?

Status check for what?

>> Your design plan.

>> Design plan.

>> Your blueprint.

>> And?

>> Your construction.

>> So, some of you are behind because you were absent.

Is that okay?

>> Yes.

>> Absolutely.

So, it's now your time.

What's my volume?

Show me, don't tell me what the reasonable volume is.

Show me.

Don't tell me.

Yes.

Volume 2.

>> Mrs. Root is amazing and very kind and teaches us how to be kind to everyone.

She makes me feel individually special and that I have all this potential that I haven't yet tapped into.

>> My heart filled with joy for her to see that I do pour my heart into what I do.

I am just blessed to be able to see the kids take what they thought they couldn't do, push themselves to the limit, even through tears sometimes, and say, "I can do this.

And I might struggle, but I can do this."

So, my greatest reward at the end of the year is to have them say, "I can do anything," not just, "I can do this."

So, what I want you to do is... >> Well, that brings us to the end of our 2022 award recipients.

Congratulations to all of the winners, and thanks to all the educators for the amazing work you do every day.

I'm Keira McGuire.

Thanks for watching.

>> Major funding for the 2022 Teacher Impact Awards is provided by Capital Blue Cross, who appreciates the unique challenges educators face and applauds their truly tireless efforts and dedication.

Because education has such an important role in promoting good health, Capital Blue Cross is proud to be the health plan partner of choice for more than 85 school districts, intermediate units, and technical schools, covering over 66,000 members.

Capital Blue Cross is committed to the shared mission of improving the well-being of the communities they serve.

And by viewers like you.

Thank you.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪