https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYunLlIARGQ

This February, New Trier Kinetic Wellness teacher Andrew Milne won the Midwest Health Teacher of the Year Award.

This award followed Milne’s win for the Illinois Health Teacher of the Year Award. 

“I initially applied for this award because the time felt right for me to be considered for the award,” Milne said.

“I first applied for the Illinois Health Teacher of the Year and I needed to write about myself and get references from other teachers in the school.”

After winning the Illinois Teacher of the Year, Milne asked for the Midwest Health Teacher of the year. “For that, I needed another written piece about myself and also get more references from the teachers in the school” stated Milne.

“When I won the first award, I was on the committee that votes for it. Since I was in the running, I had to step out. When I found out I had won the award, it was very exciting for me to be recognized by the health teachers in Illinois.”

When Milne found that he had won the second award, it came as more of a surprise to him,

“For the Midwest Teacher Award, they just sent me an email and it dropped into my mailbox. That was a surprise to me, I felt proud when I won it and I wasn’t really expecting it.”

For the National Award,  Milne will be in Boston with his wife, brother, and sister-in-law. He is excited to share this award with them because of how prestigious it is.

“To qualify for the award you have to be a health teacher and at least 50% of what you teach must be in health,” Milne said.

A teacher also needs to be a member of the state organization, IAPERD, and to reach the national level, has to be a member of the national organization, as well, Milne said.

With being a member comes access to advocacy for your subject, publications, and other benefits that motivate teachers to be a member of the organization, Milne said.

Milne is not the only teacher to win this prestigious award at New Trier. Kinetic Wellness teacher Jason Dane won the award in 2012. Andy Horne also won the National Health Teacher of the Year Award just last year. Lucy Reiner of the dance department won the Midwest Dance Teacher of the Year Award in 2005. “We’re surrounded by so many good teachers and because of the nature of New Trier, if you win an award the teachers don’t really talk about it. There are so many award winners among the teachers, whether it be awards like mine, or state medals or state trophies, New Trier is just filled with teachers who accelerate in so many areas, which is why this is such a great school”.

The National Health Teacher of the Year Award is being announced Mar. 17, during the 4 day conference that starts on Mar. 14.