Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/477223
18 Spring 2015 | AEA Advocate WE ARE AEA! • WE ARE AEA! • WE ARE AEA! • WE ARE AEA! state to hear what they need to succeed." At the awards luncheon, Bowman thanked his parents for their influence, his wife for all her help, school administrators for their trust, fellow teachers for their support and his students "for making me love my job." "I've been truly, truly blessed to have so many teachers who have been mentors and friends who have guided me through this process," Bowman said. "I don't think I would be anywhere near where I am, as a teacher in the classroom without their support and their guidance. Just having someone to shoot ideas off of is really important." Bowman said he enjoyed spending the day with the other teachers named Ambassadors of Excellence by the Arizona Educational Foundation – Kaci Heins, sixth-grade science teacher at Northland Preparatory Academy in Flagstaff, Kevin Kehl, BioScience CTE and biology teacher at Andrada Polytechnic High School in Tucson, Margie Looney, fifth- through twelfth-grade orchestra teacher at Willcox middle and high schools and Jeffrey Taylor, AP Environmental Science and AP Chemistry teacher at Flagstaff High School. "They are passionate, intelligent, and driven individuals who I am very excited to work with over the next year," Bowman said. Q: Why is teaching so rewarding for you? A: The most rewarding aspect to me is building relationships with students. It is an amazing feeling to see former students come back and relay all of their successes in life. There are very few careers that allow a person the opportunity to impact so many lives on a daily basis. Q: How do you build a strong classroom connection with students, and why is that so important? A: Building relationships is about letting the students truly know that you care about them. If a teacher is genuine and demonstrates compassion, then students will become more engaged, and I think their efforts tend to increase as well. AZ Teacher of the Year on Building Connections, Attracting Teachers By Lisa Irish, reprinted from Arizona Education News Service at azednews.com AEA President Andrew F. Morrill, 2015 Arizona Teacher of the Year John-David Bowman, and AEA Vice President Joe Thomas. Arizona Educational Foundation's 2015 Arizona Teacher of the Year and Mesa Education Association member, John-David Bowman, says students and teachers are the backbone of education and more people need to advocate for them. "Education is the foundation of the American dream. I think we need more people out and about spreading the word about all the great things that are going on," Bowman said. "There are so many amazing things and events going on in the classroom at every school, and I think that needs to be celebrated." Bowman teaches Advanced Placement U.S. History, International Baccalaureate Theory of Knowledge, and IB History of the Americas classes at Westwood High School in Mesa Public Schools. Bowman was a student teacher at the school, and has taught there for the past eight years. "The most exciting part of having this honor is the ability to really speak for the teachers and students of Arizona," Bowman said. "Teachers need other professionals and representatives in the