By Pranathi Chitta
Staff Writer
@prannydacheetah
Video by Matt Mudrick and Alana Rood, KCBY-TV
Cheers and Coppell High School drumline were heard through the halls for the Teacher of the Year this morning. AP Calculus teacher Kirk Richardson has been awarded Teacher of the Year for 2015-2016.
“I’m feeling so happy,” Richardson said. “I’m thankful for the great administration we have here and the teachers are awesome here.”
Richardson has taught calculus at CHS for 17 years and this is the first time he has been awarded the accolade.
“You get excited and hopeful, but there are some good teachers who were nominated and you look at that and you don’t want to get your hopes up because there’s so many good teachers on that list,” said Richardson’s wife Sunny Richardson, digital curator at Coppell Middle School West and former CHS teacher. “He just loves his kids. It’s been very exciting.”
According to many students, Richardson is the reason they look forward to the class and
his manner of teaching only motivates them more.
“He’s very genuine cause he actually wants you to learn so it’s not for the grade, so you’ll actually feel motivated to learn,” senior Aisha Khan said. “Whenever you go up to him to ask him a question he’s always willing and motivated to answer it.”
Even for Richardson, teaching has not been considered a job, but rather something he enjoys doing everyday.
“I come here for the students,” Richardson said. “Work, for me, is something I enjoy coming to: bonding with students and connecting with them is something I enjoy.”
Even other administrators have noticed how much Richardson’s students enjoy his teaching style and the reason why they love him so much.
“We are very excited that Mr. Richardson was able to win this award,” Assistant Principal Sean Bagley said. “He’s a very deserving man and he does an outstanding job in the classroom. And the way he can bring calculus alive to his students is just amazing.”
Although administrators and family had to keep the secret of the news, Richardson knew nothing of it and was thoroughly surprised.
“He cares for his students,” senior Veena Suthendran said. “He’s one of the few teachers here I feel that truly cares about us.”
