Once again the teachers and administrators of Oxford Area Community Schools have selected their best and brightest to receive the district’s top honor – Teacher of the Year. The following teachers will be submitted for competition at the county level:
Ronald Roop
Oxford Elementary School physical education and health instructor Ronald Roop was humbled when he learned about his award.
“It’s a great honor to be a nominee,” he stated. “It’s great to be thought about in that way, especially when I know there are a ton of other teachers out there who work harder than I do.”
Roop, an Oxford native, returned to his stomping grounds about 10 years ago. He started his career with the district by coaching high school football under Coach Bud Rowley, and then joined the staff as an elementary teacher. He holds a bachelors of arts in elementary education from Saginaw Valley State University.
Today, Roop and his wife Jennifer, a kindergarten teacher at Daniel Axford, live in Lake Orion with their daughters Madelyn, 4, and Alyse, 1. The couple is planning to move back into Oxford soon.
“We’re moving back to where I grew up so I’m pretty excited,” said Roop.
Roop said his favorite part of teaching has been the relationships he forms with his peers and his students.
“I try to make learning fun,” he added. “I interact with the kids and make it a fun process. I hope they take away a work ethic, the idea to never give up and try as hard as they can.”
Judy Bas
Being selected this year as a Teacher of the Year nominee couldn’t have been better timing for Judy Bas – she’s retiring at the conclusion of the school year.
“I’ve just enjoyed teaching so much,” said Bas. “It’s been the best job ever. It’s a real honor to work with kids.”
Bas, a sixth grade language arts and social studies teacher at Oxford Middle School, has been with the district for 17 years. Before coming to Oxford, she worked for three years as a fifth grade teacher in Lake Shore Public Schools, and about seven years in Warren Consolidated Schools as an evening English as a Second Language instructor.
Bas said she has a bachelors of science from Wayne State University in English and speech, with a social studies minor. She received her masters in reading from Oakland University.
“I was really surprised to learn about my nomination,” said Bas. “I looked down the sheet and couldn’t believe it when I saw my name.”
When asked about how she tries to keep her students interested, Bas said she uses diversity.
“I try to have a variety of different activities for my students with each topic,” she explained. “I try to provide the variety so every child can succeed at what they are good at.”
As for the future, Bas, an Oxford resident, will be enjoying her retirement with her husband John, their children and three grandchildren.
Erick Pfeifer
Secondary nominee Erick Pfeifer is not your average run-of-the-mill honoree, in fact, he’s not even your typical, everyday teacher.
Pfeifer teaches Graphic Arts at Crossroads for Youth. He started his teaching career almost 30 years ago as a special education instructor in Garden City, then spent another 15 years in special education in Troy, and he’s spent the last 13 years with the Oxford district — but it’s the in between that may surprise some people.
“I owned a printing screen shop and two American Speedy Printing Center franchises for seven years,” said Pfeifer. “I sold them off and decided to return to teaching.”
Pfeifer has a bachelors of science in special education, health, physical education, recreation and biology. He’s also done some graduate work in special education.
For the past 20 years, Pfeifer has lived in Oxford with his wife Valerie and their children Kyle and Ericka. He coached varsity soccer at Oxford High School for 10 years and coached for Lake Orion this past year. He also heads the North Oakland Soccer Camps.
On the field and in the classroom, Pfeifer said he demands a lot from his kids.
“I try to give the kids an entry-level insight into graphic arts and teach them about the world of work,” said Pfeifer. “What I love about this job is that every once in a while I get a kid I can put to work – I get a few that do really well and those are the ones you hope for.”
“These are the disposable kids of society,” he continued. “These are the ones thrown away. Who else is going to do this for them. Somebody has to teach them how to work. I’m a tough, hard-nosed teacher who demands a lot from these kids.”
Even though he enjoys what he does, Pfeifer was not comfortable with his new recognition.
“I wasn’t happy, this is not me,” he explained. “I’m not the kind of person who likes attention. There’s too many others who have dedicated their lives to education. I just do what I do.”