Tops in their Field: Eatontown Educators are Honored by Peers as Teachers of the Year

Winning an award is always a nice recognition but for teachers, the Monmouth County Teacher Recognition Award is significant because it’s based on recognition by fellow educators.

This year’s winners from the Eatontown School District were Meadowbrook Elementary’s Tara Micciulla, Vetter Elementary’s Dawn White, Woodmere Elementary's Nancy Murphy and Memorial Middle School’s Natalie Milano.

All four teachers from Eatontown will attend a luncheon at the Waterview Pavilion in Belmar in May, along with award winners throughout the county. While the award comes other some small tokens—including a plaque, flowers, a formal recognition at a board of education meeting and a small monetary donation to use in the teachers’ classrooms—its meaning carries much more weight for teachers.

For Tara Micciulla, who has taught special education at Meadowbrook Elementary School for the past nine years and has taught for 11 years in Eatontown, the award is something she has always coveted.  “It’s definitely an honor to me. It shows how my peers have recognized me and that they appreciate me,” she said. “It’s definitely something I’ve always wanted. It was a blessing.”

“Tara Micciulla is a dedicated, caring person who is totally giving of her time and talent to her students and others," Meadowbrook Principal Valerie Cioffi said in an e-mail. "She goes above and beyond her job description on a daily basis.”

Dawn White, Margaret L. Vetter Elementary School’s winner, is a basic skills teacher and goes above and beyond her school responsibilities, according to Interim Principal Sarah O’Neill.

“Dawn White ... has an exceptional understanding of our curriculum, school goals and essentials of most effective teaching. She exhibits a special ability to reach out to students of all grade levels," O'Neill said in an e-mail.  "She plans awesome lessons, instructs students creatively and fosters student success with enthusiasm, heart and passion.” 

Aside from her academic role, White is involved in many extracurricular activities, according to O’Neill, including the Professional Development Committee, the Advisory PAC Committee, Safety Patrol and Girls Night Out volunteer.

“Not only is she a stellar teacher, loved by colleagues, students, and parents alike but she is a talented basketball coach at our middle school," O'Neill said. "She is a tremendous asset to Vetter School and our school district.”

For Nancy Murphy, of Woodmere Elementary School, “it was a wonderful surprise and an honor to receive this award.” Murphy, who teaches third grade, stated via e-mail: “Even with all the negative publicity surrounding the teaching profession, I still feel proud to be a teacher in New Jersey’s public schools.”

Woodmere's principal Kim Muir said in an e-mail: "(Murphy) is deserving of this award because she has an uncompromising view that all students can learn; learning is fun and exciting in her class.  On any given day, you will find Mrs. Murphy in her class creating valuable learning experiences for her class that are content-rich as well as student-oriented.  Additionally, Mrs. Murphy participates in school committees and has served as a mentor to new teachers."

Being recognized by her co-workers is what Memorial Middle School’s Natalie Milano points out is important. “It’s an honor because you are nominated and voted upon by co-workers. So they must think pretty highly of me,” she said. Milano, who has been a math teacher at Memorial for 25 years said, “It’s nice to know everything I do is appreciated.”

According to Memorial Principal Ronald Danielson, Milano serves the district in a variety of capacities: she serves as the voluntary team leader for her teaching team and is responsible for chairing team meetings, scheduling conferences, and managing progress reports; she also serves on a number of school committees.

Danielson shared in an e-mail comments he received from colleagues who nominated Milano for the award: “All of (Milano's) students have an excellent understanding of concepts taught in her class.  She clearly explains each concept in a way that every student is able to be successful.  She sets her expectations high, insuring that all students will reach their maximum achievement.” 

Another comment read: “Many students have told me that Mrs. Milano teaches math in a way in which they ‘get it.’ ” Still another stated: “Mrs. Milano is a parent’s dream teacher because she is so dedicated to her students’ learning and so passionate about her students grasping math concepts.”

Aside from being honored and recognized by peers for individual contributions in and out of the classroom, two teachers pointed out another perk that came with the award: A reserved parking spot in the front of the school for the year. 

“That’s what I’ve always wanted,” said Micciulla, laughing. Indeed, the parking spot boasts a sign designating reserved status for the Teacher of the Year.   

Milano agreed that the parking spot is a nice perk.  “That’s the best part. I get a parking spot next to the building for the year."