PEOPLE magazine has announced the six winners of the magazine’s second annual “Teacher of the Year†Awards (#teacherofyear. John Herber, a fifth grade teacher at Oakcrest Elementary School in Pensacola, Florida is one of the six winners. They will be featured in the October 28 issue of PEOPLE magazine (on newsstands nationwide Friday, October 18), and will receive $5000 ($4000 for their school and $1000 for themselves).
Before Herber started teaching at Oakcrest Elementary School seven years ago, only 16 percent of the school’s fifth graders were considered proficient in science. Last year, 59 percent passed the test, more than the state or district average. Herber has formed school-community partnerships to help enrich his classes, bringing in experts. “We have learned about honey production and honeybee lifecycles from a beekeeper, the principles of flight and airflow from a pilot, and melting and saturation points from candle and soap makers,” Herber tells PEOPLE. Off duty, he volunteers as a football and basketball coach so that kids who don’t qualify for varsity teams have the chance to play; his blue 2008 Subaru often serves as the “team bus.” His goal “is to ensure my students do not know they are disadvantaged,” he says.
Herber started a school vegetable garden and later a butterfly garden to teach students about plant and animal life. He also created a culinary club where students can learn healthy recipes using produce they have grown. “The program has turned disruptive and disengaged students into peer leaders both in and out of the classroom,” says Herber, who asks his fifth graders to take pre-K students on tours of the garden and to help him teach.
For the second consecutive year, PEOPLE’s “Teacher of the Year†Awards is presented by Kellogg’s® Frosted Mini-Wheats®, a brand that recognizes the important role that teachers play in helping children reach their individual potential. A hometown event for Herber will be held on Monday, Oct. 28 at 1 pm at Oakcrest Elementary School at 1820 Hollywood Ave, Pensacola.