And the top honor goes to voc ed.

And the top honor goes to voc ed. This summer agriculture teacher Ray Chelewski became the firstvocational-technical educator ever to win Walt Disney's topteaching honor. He's glad to be recognized and he's proud forvoc ed VOC ED Vocational Education , but throughout the media frenzy that followed his award, hisfocus was getting back to his students and their 38-acre classroom. The setting was ripe for fantasy: a star-studded awards showpresented by the Walt Disney Noun 1. Walt Disney - United States film maker who pioneered animated cartoons and created such characters as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck; founded Disneyland (1901-1966)Disney, Walter Elias Disney Company at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion is one of the halls in the Los Angeles Music Center (which is one of the three largest performing arts centers in the United States). The Music Center's other halls include the Mark Taper Forum, Ahmanson Theatre, and Walt Disney Concert Hall. inLos Angeles Los Angeles(lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. , a frequent site of the Academy Awards. Fittingly enough for the venue, Ray Chelewski stepped into a dreamon June 10, when a group of the nation's top teachers voted him theOutstanding Teacher of 1998 at the Walt Disney Company's AmericanTeacher Awards ceremony. He is the first vocational-technical educatorto capture the honor. Suddenly Chelewski, 45, a self-described "very ruralguy" who teaches agriculture at the Presque Isle Presque Isle(prĕsk īl)[Fr.,=peninsula], city (1990 pop. 10,550), Aroostook co., NE Maine, inc. 1859. It is the trade, tourist, and shipping center of the Aroostook valley. RegionalTechnology Center in northeast Maine, found himself getting whiskedaround to appearances on Good Morning America Good Morning America is a weekday morning news show that is broadcast on the ABC television network. The show was adapted from The Morning Exchange, a morning show created by and airing on the ABC affiliate in Cleveland, Ohio, and was launched nationally as and Fox News, as well asinterviews with newspapers, magazines and United Press International. Helater describes the experience as odd, overwhelming, fun and ultimatelyindescribable. "Teachers don't get this kind of treatmentoften enough," he says with a laugh. Now that Chelewski has a national platform, he plans to speak upfor the importance of vocational education vocational education,training designed to advance individuals' general proficiency, especially in relation to their present or future occupations. The term does not normally include training for the professions. , agriculture, reality-basededucation and community involvement in schools. "I don't think [the award] is going to change my life alot," says Chelewski, shortly after returning to Maine from hiswhirlwind whirlwind,revolving mass of air resulting from local atmospheric instability, such as that caused by intense heating of the ground by the sun on a hot summer day. media tour. When he got back to Presque Isle, for example, hesays he "woke up with reality"--there were strawberries topick at the school farm. "I hope it will change how vocational education is looked atby other people. For too long we've been a stepchild step��child?n.1. A child of one's spouse by a previous union.2. Something that does not receive appropriate care, respect, or attention: "Demography has a reputation for being the stepchild of . . . ." For Chelewski, the road to national recognition as an educatorbegan with a teacher's harsh words in his sophomore year in highschool. "My first agriculture teacher said, `Chelewski, with yourattitude, you'll never amount to anything,' "Chelewskirecalls. His attitude toward school "was pretty pathetic at thetime. [The teacher] was probably right." But what offendedChelewski then and now is that the teacher chose to highlight thenegatives. His next agriculture teacher, a first-year instructor namedBob Bloomfield, had a more positive approach, showing Chelewski thatlearning and growth were possible. Without Bloomfield, Chelewski says hemight not have graduated high school. "[I]t was the beginning lesson for me of the impact apositive teacher can have on a student's learning and future lifesuccesses," Chelewski wrote in a "self-portrait" for theAmerican Teacher Awards. That lesson has stayed with him throughout his24-year teaching career: "I've goal to treat every kid assomething positive." After graduating high school in Colorado, Chelewski stood by asnew school year began and the school bus picked up his younger brothers Wiki is aware of the following uses of "'Younger Brother": Younger Brother (music group) Younger Brother (Trinity House) - a title within the British organisation, Trinity House and sisters. His father looked at him and said, to go to work," butthe prospect of working on the family farm didn't excite Chelewski.Agriculture was "the only thing I knew that I really liked,"he says, so he gravitated toward agricultural education Agricultural education is instruction about crop production, livestock management, soil and water conservation, and various other aspects of agriculture. Agricultural education includes instruction in food education, such as nutrition. , receiving abachelor's degree from Colorado State University Colorado State University,at Fort Collins; land-grant with state and federal support; chartered 1870, opened 1879 as an agricultural college, assumed present name in 1957. There is a veterinary teaching hospital, an agricultural campus, and a research campus. in 1975. He taughtin Colorado for seven years, then moved to New Mexico New Mexico,state in the SW United States. At its northwestern corner are the so-called Four Corners, where Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah meet at right angles; New Mexico is also bordered by Oklahoma (NE), Texas (E, S), and Mexico (S). in 1983, where hebuilt a program that had been temporarily discontinued because ofstudent discipline problems into the largest in the state, a winner ofnational recognition that included community service awards from theFFA FFAfree fatty acids. . Chelewski arrived at Presque Isle Regional Technology Center in1990 to jump start an agri-science program that had been closed for twoyears. He visited local businesses to get their views on what theschool's agriculture program should be. As a result, Chelewskiadded units on agribusiness agribusinessAgriculture operated by business; specifically, that part of a modern national economy devoted to the production, processing, and distribution of food and fibre products and byproducts. , marketing, leadership, ecology and naturalresources. Not every community has the same needs; in New MexicoChelewski taught wildlife biology, while in Maine he focuses onagri-science. "I need to be doing in this community what thecommunity wants," he explains. At the technology center, which is attached to Presque Isle HighSchool and enrolls about 200 students, Chelewski also has integratedcore academic subjects such as math and English into his lessons, andworked with other high school and middle school teachers to addagriculture to their classes. Donald Jordan, Presque Isle's vocational director, marvels athow complete the technology center's agri-science program hasbecome since Chelewski's arrival eight years ago. It now includes a4,000-square-foot greenhouse, trout and tropical fish tropical fishAny of various small fishes of tropical origin often kept in aquariums. They are interesting for their behaviour or showiness or both. Popular varieties include the angelfish, guppy, kissing gourami, sea horse, Siamese fighting fish, and tetra. aquaculture aquaculture,the raising and harvesting of fresh- and saltwater plants and animals. The most economically important form of aquaculture is fish farming, an industry that accounts for an ever increasing share of world fisheries production. center, farm store and 38-acre farm. Students learn all sides of theagriculture business, from soil science to crop production and retailmanagement. "It's not just how to plant a potato," Jordansays. Chelewski's enthusiasm is a key to his success, according to according toprep.1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians.2. In keeping with: according to instructions.3. Elizabeth Morgan, a student of his in New Mexico in the late 1980s whonow works as his teaching partner in Presque Isle. "He is verydynamic. He is extremely enthusiastic," Morgan says. She notes thatChelewski equates teaching students with entertaining them, knowing thatany lesson will be lost if you can't keep a student'sattention. "As far as he's concerned, the student is ahead ofeverything," Jordan adds. "He's a very caring person...[and] he knows what these kids need. He can take them from where theyare to where they should be." Chelewski also can be persuasive. Morgan, a high achiever in highschool who planned a career as a neonatologist, joined several of herfriends in taking a green hills management class as a lark. Chelewskirequired them to participate in FFA to keep their `A' averages. "He said these are your choices: you participate or youdon't get your `A,'" Morgan recalls. That's aneffective thing to say to someone who wants to be class valedictorian.Morgan and her friends won a state FFA competition and "after thatthere was no stopping us," she says. Morgan became a vocationaleducation convert and living proof--much to her surprise--that academicachievers can also be vocational students. "You have thattraditional impression that vocational classes are for students who arenot going on to college," Morgan says. "We had thatimpression." "I believe all students should have vocational education,because every student is going to have a vocation," Chelewski says."There has to be some reality to whatever they'relearning." Nominated for the Disney award by a teacher in his district,Chelewski initially didn't think he had much chance of winning,despite the national and state teaching awards he has won over theyears, including the national FFA's Agri-science Teacher of theYear award in 1997. But Chelewski was named one of the 36 finalists, a group thatincluded three teachers each from 12 categories. After a selectionprocess in which judges from education organizations heard oralpresentations, watched videos and reviewed written applications,Chelewski captured the top honor in the vocational-technical educationcategory. The 36 finalists then voted by secret ballot secret ballotn.1. A type of voting in which each person's vote is kept secret, but the amassed votes of various groups are revealed publicly.2. See Australian ballot.Noun 1. to name ChelewskiAmerica's outstanding teacher, an award presented by actor MatthewBroderick. Chelewski had not prepared an acceptance speech and brieflywondered what to say. Winning the award "was kind of the shock ofall shocks," he recalls. Standing at the podium, he congratulatedthe other finalists and called for more public involvement in schools."I think we need positive involvement" from parents, Chelewskiexplained later. He said most teachers view parental involvement in apositive light but are apprehensive if parents fail to show up untilthere's a problem at school. For winning the Disney award, Chelewski received a $25,000honorarium HONORARIUM. A recompense for services rendered. It is usually applied only to the recompense given to persons whose business is connected with science; as the fee paid to counsel. 2. , his school received $25,000 and the Presque Isle districtgot $10,000. The school board plans to invest part of the money in acomputer lab for the agriculture program. Despite the prestige and glamour of the Disney American TeacherAward, Chelewski says winning it is not his proudest accomplishment. Forhim, pride comes from helping kids realize their potential, particularlyif they've been written off, as he was by that 10th-gradeagriculture teacher. One of his students, he recalls, was a young womanwith autism autism(ô`tĭzəm), developmental disability resulting from a neurological disorder that affects the normal functioning of the brain. It is characterized by the abnormal development of communication skills, social skills, and reasoning. whose chances of holding a steady job were considered slim.But "her eyes lit up" one day when the class worked oncorsages and boutonnieres. Five years later, she is still employed by alocal florist. Watching students change and grow, seeing their faces lightup--these are what drive Chelewski to teach. "There's nothingbetter than going in and being `on' in a class--being in a zone, soto speak," he says. "The kids are with you." Asked what he'll be doing this September, Chelewski said,"I'm gonna go back and teach some more."