When most people think of National Teacher’s Day, they usually think about celebrating the hard work that educators do through out the school year. On top of this, many citizens also like to be informed about some of the dedicated people who teach and inspire their children to success.
When it comes to this, there is no better teacher than Mrs. Tina Hartong to exemplify the qualities that give us a reason to have a day to celebrate teachers in the first place.
Mrs. Hartong is a seventh grade science teacher at Spring Hill Junior High School in Springfield Township. It seems to be her top priority to not only be the compassionate teacher that her job requires, but also the kind of educator that students are not afraid to go and speak with when it comes to problems they are facing. With this special role in the school, she is also the life skills educator, giving tips on things from how to make your own doughnuts, to making students aware of problems as critical as domestic abuse. It is apparent that she is one of the perfect teachers for this job. Her duel success in both family and career proves the point clearly. This is still merely scratching the surface on all of the subjects and extra curricular activities she heads at Spring Hill Junior High School.
Mrs. Hartong is also the director of Spring Hill’s morning news show, where students learn a variety of different skills, from being able to go on screen in front of a whole school, to learning how to connect a single camera to the television sets of every classroom available. She also instructs the school’s journalism class. In this class, students write for a school newspaper at least once a month. Mrs. Hartong demonstrates for students, how to create opening hooks and titles for articles that would make readers want to indulge themselves in the news.
This class also contributes to the school’s yearbook by designing layouts and styles, all by a single computer.
From science teacher, to life skills teacher, to a director of a morning show and the duel responsibility of the school newspaper and yearbook all this and much more she manages to accomplish, even with two small children and a husband who is also a teacher in Springfield Local School District. I myself have had the personal honor of having her as a teacher for two years now. She always takes the time to help a student in distress, while also educating all of her students in such a way that can only be described as inspirational. I can only hope to someday be like this caring and incredible teacher. When I look into the eyes of Mrs. Hartong, I see the face of dedication. Thank-you Mrs. Hartong for all your hard work!
