CHEYENNE – Sheridan County School District #2 seventh grade science teacher Ryan Fuhrman has been named Wyoming’s 2017 Teacher of the Year.
“Mr. Fuhrman is one of those teachers that sees the value of teaching his students lessons that will reach far beyond the classroom,” said State Superintendent Jillian Balow. “He knows that he truly holds the future in his hands when he steps inside a school and treats that privilege with great respect. His zeal for the critical thinking and problem solving skills within science is contagious, and we are honored to have a teacher like him in Wyoming, who will hold students to high standards, and help them live and breathe the science he puts in front of them.”
Mr. Fuhrman grew up in Casper and was inspired to become a teacher by his Latin teacher at Centennial Junior High School. He’s taught science at Sheridan Junior High School since 2012. In addition, he’s a Kendrick Mansion Guild Member, VEX Robotic Instructor, Camp SySTEMatic Counselor and Organizer, Science Kids Board Member, and assistant basketball coach. Mr. Fuhrman has also been selected to become an Instructional Facilitator for Sheridan Junior High School, to coach new teachers, build technology capacity, and provide insight and support to the teaching staff.
Sheridan Junior High School Principal Mitch Craft said that Mr. Fuhrman’s passion for science along with his rapport with students and ability to deeply engage them makes his classes rigorous and fun: “Mr. Fuhrman’s science classes are not cleverly disguised vocabulary courses with paint-by-number labs sprinkled in for effect. He teaches his students to think like scientists and to build mindsets that will carry them into the world well beyond their formal education. I love watching him work with kids and to see just how much fun they have in his classroom through the joy and challenge he brings to the teaching and learning of science.”
While describing his teaching philosophy, Mr. Fuhrman said, “When I am able to successfully combine the art and science of teaching the reward is simple and profound. Students learn, and learn deeply. They learn the ideas of science that help explain the world around them and prepare them to be thoughtful citizens. They learn to take risks and seize opportunities. They learn to think and to view education as more than the completion of work and grades. These are the true rewards I find in teaching.”
As the 2017 Wyoming Teacher of the Year, Mr. Fuhrman will serve as an education ambassador for the state. Wyoming’s Teacher of the Year automatically becomes the nominee for the National Teacher of the Year Program, which is a project of the Council of Chief State School Officers, sponsored by Voya Financial, Inc.
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Media Contact:
Kari Eakins, Communications Director
kari.eakins@wyo.gov
307-777-2053
