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| Mary Guler named Teacher of the Year by her peers |
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| Wednesday, 19 November 2008 | |
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The world of developmental adapted physical education is one without boundaries; a world where potential is limited only by the imagination and the word impossible doesn’t exist. It’s a world where a blind student can train to compete on his junior high school’s track team, and where individuals with a variety of physical and developmental challenges can succeed in areas once unheard of. This is the kind of work done by Forest Lake’s own Mary Guler, who was recently named by the Minnesota Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (MNAHPERD) as Developmental Adapted Physical Education (DAPE) Teacher of the Year. Upon learning that she had been selected as teacher of the year, two things immediately occurred to Mary: One, it was just about the longest name for an award that anybody has ever heard of, and; two, she had joined a very select group among her peers across the nation. “Two of the last three national DAPE teachers of the year came from Minnesota,” Guler, who teaches at Forest Lake High School, explained. This is not a coincidence. In the area of adapted physical education, Minnesota is considered a national leader, among the top two or three states in the country in terms of innovation and advancement in the field. “Minnesota is so progressive in the area of adapted physical education, so it means a lot to me to receive this award,” said Guler, who was honored at the MNAHPERD Fall Conference in Alexandria on Oct. 27. She received an email from the association about two weeks ago informing her of her selection. Given recent history, she’s hopeful that she might have a chance to become the third Minnesotan to receive the national award. But it’s a long process. After receiving recognition as teachers of the year in their respective states, national association members can advance to be named regional teachers of the year the following year. In the third year, a single one of the regional teachers of the year will be named national teacher of the year. So by next fall, Guler will know if she has advanced on to the regional level. The award recognizes those teachers who not only have sufficient knowledge of standard curricula in their field, but who push the envelope in creating innovative teaching methods and learning experiences for their students. “The goal is to ensure that every student, regardless of their situation, can have a lifelong appreciation for exercise and physical fitness, and that they can truly maximize their potential and achieve things that they may not even have thought possible,” Guler said. Since 1987, Guler has been at Forest Lake Area High School, teaching physical education to students of all ages, ranging from early childhood to 21, with all different types of disabilities. Last year, she helped Southwest Junior High student Revin McGee – then a 7th grader – train to compete in the 400 meter, shot put and discus events on his school’s track and field team. McGee was the only member of the team who was blind. Guler has also helped coach Special Olympic Athletes in the Fergus Falls and now Forest Lake areas. Several years ago, she helped train a Special Olympics athlete who advanced to compete in the Nordic skiing event at the International Special Olympics held in Austria. Social Bookmarking ...       |
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