Great Falls Teacher recognized as ‘2021-2022 Montana History Teacher of the Year’

HELENA — On the State Capitol on Wednesday, Nice Falls Instructor Eric Chaon was acknowledged because the thirty third winner of the Montana Statehood Centennial Bell Award which honors the 2021-2022 Montana Historical past Instructor of the 12 months.

Chaon and his college students ring the Centennial Bell to assist have fun Montana’s belated birthday, which was on Election Day this yr, and for all of the trainer’s accomplishments.

“Yeah, it is actually rewarding to have your colleagues acknowledge you and write letters of assist for you,” mentioned Chaon. “I believe essentially the most rewarding half was {that a} scholar wrote a letter of assist for you. You write lots of letters of advice for youths as a trainer. So to get one from a scholar and skim it and see their views was simply encouraging to maintain working arduous as a trainer.”

That assist, Chaon says, pushes him to be the very best trainer he may be.

“I’d say it is rewarding to have, you already know, college students who acknowledge and are grateful to have you ever as a trainer. After which additionally it is type of inspiring too, you already know, ensure you preserve working arduous and doing job within the classroom and so all of these issues actually rewarding,” mentioned Chaon.

Chosen by a panel of Montana historical past advocates from submissions by the trainer’s friends and college students, Nice falls Principal Geoff Habel wasn’t shocked by who was awarded historical past trainer of the yr.

“He is a good trainer. He does all of the issues that you’d ask of a trainer to fulfill the wants of all the scholars, not simply the college-bound college students, however the college students which might be simply going to go proper into the workforce. He meets them the place they’re at. He is aware of the methods,” mentioned Habel.

Being a graduate of Nice Falls Excessive College in 2006, Chaon returned to his alma mater in 2011 and has been a Montana historical past trainer at the highschool since 2013. He informed MTN he could not be extra grateful for the assist.

“Simply grateful for all of the people who, you already know, put effort and time into this and grateful for the scholars that I’ve and management that we have got in nice falls and all of the people who care about Montana historical past and preserving it and shifting ahead,” mentioned Chaon.

Chaon acquired a plaque and $4,500 from three sponsors: the Montana Tv Community, the Montana Historical past Basis, and the Sons & Daughters of Montana Pioneers. Different companions are the Montana Historic Society and the 1889 Espresso Home in Helena.

Extra presents of $100 in gold Sacajawea cash from Judy Wohlfrom of Woodland, Calif., are given to the coed who writes the letter of assist for the successful trainer. One other gold Sacajawea greenback is given from Mike Collins, president of the Sons and Daughter of Montana Pioneers, and his spouse Connie, to every scholar who accompanies the successful trainer to the Helena awards ceremony.