Meet America's Favorite Teacher Nominee, OCSD's Andrea Niece!

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
All right.
So everybody, welcome to ourmost recent episode of the Husky
Huddle.
We have been offline for awhile, but we are so excited
that we can get back online withsuch exciting news, such as
speaking to our local nomineefor Teacher of the Year.
We're so excited Andrea Neeseis here to join us today and I

(00:21):
appreciate you coming on because, first of all, as I said, if
we're going to re inaugurate thepodcast, it has to be for
something important.
Yeah, and talking to you, Ifeel like I'm in the presence of
teaching royalty.

Speaker 2 (00:34):
So thank you for coming.

Speaker 1 (00:36):
And so, andrea, I'm so excited to have you on, and
so generally what I do wheneverwe have these types of
interviews on the podcast is Itell people tell me about
yourself, sure, so I don't know,it's been, it's such a crazy
week.

Speaker 2 (00:56):
So I've been teaching like or in special education
for about 11, 12 years now.
I started out in educationaladvocacy, the educational law
side of it.
Graduated from St Bonaventure,so super local, wasn't your
traditional student.
You know I was married mysenior year of you know, college
.
I graduated and had my son, myfirst son, 10 years ago.

(01:19):
He'll be 11 soon.
So you know, kind of that reallynontraditional student.
I loved education and kind ofthat really non-traditional
student.
I loved education and kind ofcontinued but I wasn't really
quite sure if I wanted to, youknow, go into the classroom
quite yet.
So I went into the educationallaw side of things with actually
Directions and IndependentLiving down the hall here or
down the street.
So kind of started out there.

(01:40):
But then you know I was missingthe school, missing the inside
of the classroom.
I worked with several of ourCat County school districts
within my role there withdirections but I was missing,
you know, the classroom, thelife skill classroom, which is
my true passion.
I absolutely love my class herein Oleon and at the high school

(02:03):
and I love that we get to doall of the fun stuff, all the
life skills, the communitybuilding and all of the
work-based activities that we do.
It's just I love it.
But I mean me as a person.
I'm a mom of two boys, veryactive boys.
Just this past weekend my sonwas wrestling in the
Pennsylvania State Championship.
Didn't end, you know, quitelike we had planned.

(02:25):
He actually has a Tommy Johninjury to the elbow.
So, you know, yesterday it wassome pretty crushing news for
him.
So you know, kind of movingforward with that and really
kind of persevering and startingthat recovery process and you
know, moving forward.
But you know, just I'm ahappy-go-lucky person.
It just, you know, kind ofcarries on to my children and

(02:46):
he's ready to conquer that.
That's awesome.

Speaker 1 (02:48):
Yeah, and it's such an honor to even get to the
Pennsylvania championship.
Yeah, so he's worked reallyhard.

Speaker 2 (02:56):
I mean he practices seven days a week, you know.
So we're constantly on the go,we're constantly at practice and
constantly putting in that workand effort.
And you know he's got thatmindset and determination.
So, yeah, he keeps me busy forsure.

Speaker 1 (03:17):
That's wonderful, that's great, and so he must
have been along with otherfriends and family very proud to
hear that you were nominatedfor Teacher of the Year.

Speaker 2 (03:26):
Teacher of the year, yeah, it's actually um america's
like america as a wholefavorite teacher, um, and when I
like it is in, like it'sincredible, it's insane.
Um, so I received, like thiscall, um, and I also like
received a follow-up email.
Because I didn't answer thephone call, like I had no idea
where you know this number.
I was like I have no clue whothis is.
So it kind of, you know, wentby the wayside, had a couple

(03:47):
emails like you know, mrs Neese,we've been trying to reach you.
So I finally like answered thephone call and they're like hi,
mrs Neese, like you've beennominated for America's favorite
teacher.
And I was like what and I mean,through this process, like I've
been really trying super hardto figure out who nominated me
Um, like I had a few people umask me you know some questions

(04:10):
for, like a presentation, or um,like I've had St Bonaventure
students you know as um interns.
You, you know why did you becomea teacher?
You know, if you were, if youcould do this, you know what
would you do?
Or you know what's yourmemorable moment teaching.

(04:32):
And so, like these questionsnow became part of my nomination
.
Wow, and I'm like, okay, hey,hey, you know those questions
that you asked me before, like,did you nominate me?
And they're like I don't know,I'm not telling, so, I don't
know but to whoever you are orwhoever you know did make this
nomination, I am truly honoredand just absolutely like,

(04:55):
blessed beyond belief.
Like I'm just what I'm doing,either here or in the community,
or, you know, just anybodyseeing, you know, even through
our Facebook media page for ourschool district, they're seeing
what we're doing in my classroom.
You know, day in, day out, theeffort that you know the
students put in and we put inmaking their work-based learning

(05:17):
experience amazing.
Clearly, what we're doing isbeing seen.
So to me that's like wow, okay,what I'm doing is actually
making a difference to not onlymy students and their families,
but to the person who felt likeI was observing or, you know,
being a, you know needing thisnomination.

(05:38):
So, whoever you are, thank youso much.
I have no words to say to you,but other than like thank you
and truly blessed, like for real.

Speaker 1 (05:47):
And the cool thing is , I've gone along with some of
the activities that your classhas participated in and, for
example, the coffee was superfun, so fun, so fun in and, for
example, the coffee, yeah, Ithink was super fun, so fun, so
fun.
What an awesome way to connectwork-based experiences with
something as fun as coffeeroasting and then connecting it

(06:08):
with other ways to connectwithin the community that was
pretty cool.
Yeah, so we're super happy.
More about that.

Speaker 2 (06:13):
Yeah, so we're really really like excited, excited
about that.
So Rocket Cup Coffee here inOlean.
They kind of like had saidbefore like hey, let's do a
coffee tasting.
You know, let's get the staffinvolved.
You know kind of really thatschool community relationship
and they are striving andseeking for that.
So our job coach, leah Graves,and I kind of you know put that

(06:35):
together.
We went to their location inCataraugus.
The students learned about, youknow, some jobs that they have
up in.
You know, being a barista andkind of learning how you can
brew like all of the differenttypes of coffee and there's
endless possibilities up there.
But then we went below therestaurant and the coffee shop

(06:55):
there and they truly learnedlike from the bean you know how
is it harvested and how does itcome here and then they roasted
and the thought process was toreally bring like a classroom
enterprise for my students herein Olean to have like a coffee
shop within the classroom.

(07:16):
Yeah.
So we've had a lot of greatfeedback for that.
The staff is like oh awesome,we love this coffee.
And what was, like, I guess,truly awesome about our trip
there is the students roastedtheir own coffee beans.
We blended two different kindsof beans to create our own Husky
blend.

(07:36):
So it's going to be like asignature blend for our Husky
community.
It will be available, you know,for purchase, you know, here in
the near future, bagged up withour Husky logo and hopefully
like bringing a true coffee shophere for our staff within the
school and allowing my studentsto kind of be those baristas you

(07:58):
know taking on, you know thatexchange of money and you know
really learning how to run aclassroom enterprise or a
business.

Speaker 1 (08:05):
So really excited for that opportunity.
The cool thing about that issomething as ubiquitous as
getting a cup of coffee.
It helps our students getconnected with how that is a way
to participate and work and bea meaningful part of our
community.
So that was a great opportunity.
But you guys do several ofthese opportunities during the

(08:28):
year.
And it's always really nice tosee how our students are really
interested in theseopportunities and they get to go
and be able to participate andthey learn.
I know I learned.
I learned not so much Heat yourwater past 200 degrees.
Yes, which apparently wassomething I was doing.
Yes, that's why I was having areally yucky cup of coffee,

(08:49):
right.

Speaker 2 (08:49):
And another thing was not to like buy the flavored
coffee, right, put the flavor inafter you brew your coffee,
like that.
I was like, was like whoa, wait, I always buy like french
vanilla beans or something, andthey're like, oh no, no, no,
like that is that, takes your,that, takes it right away, right
, um, so use, like the, theliquid flavors if you're going
to flavor your coffee.

(09:10):
So there was a lot of goodtakeaways, for sure that we
learned absolutely so.

Speaker 1 (09:13):
It was a really meaningful day, uh, not just for
students, but even for us,right?
We learn something new everyday, so that's also a cool thing
, so we are really excited thatyou have been nominated.
I'm glad you answered the phone, yeah, and answered the email
to be nominated as America'sFavorite Teacher, and so some of

(09:36):
the message that is out thereis that you've consistently gone
above and beyond for yourstudents, creating a positive
impact in and out of theclassroom, and it's certainly a
well-deserved recognition of allof the work, passion and
dedication that you bring toteaching every day.
So I will encourage everybodyto pull the sled together again

(09:59):
and show our support to you withthis amazing title, and voting
is still open.

Speaker 2 (10:05):
Yeah.
So, actually just this past week, they kind of break it down
into tiers it's round one, roundtwo.
Now we're moving on to roundthree, which I must have to get
to that next level of reachingthe top 10 teachers.
And right now, like I, I I wentto top 20, may top 15.

(10:27):
And now I'm in in the running,you know to, to continue on to
the top 10, to keep moving inthis process.
So I guess, from myunderstanding is, each week you,
you continue to move up theladder and if you make it in
that top, you know 10, 5,whichever it may be, then you
continue moving on thecompetition.
So top 10 ends March 20th, okay.

(10:50):
So yeah, please continue voting.
It's all now based on, like,popularity.
You know through that socialmedia page.
You know reading why we arenominated and what it means to
us.
So you know read why we arenominated and what it means to
us.
So you know you read all ofthem, choose which one you feel
you know is the best deserved ofthis.
You know national title ofAmerica's favorite teacher.

Speaker 1 (11:12):
But well, yeah, I mean thank you.
I will continue to have my vote, because what's awesome not
only is a way to recognize you,but also as being designated as
America's favorite teachers.
There's some interesting thingsthat you'll get, including
maybe money and a trip to Hawaiiand an appearance in Reader's
Digest.
Yeah, and then I can say onceagain that I know you, and I

(11:34):
knew you way back when and Iknow you after that.

Speaker 2 (11:38):
So another thing, like my students are so part of
winning the.
You know the top prize isgetting Bill Nye, the science
guy, and he is like one of myfavorite human beings on the
planet.

Speaker 1 (11:50):
Yeah, so I'm so excited.

Speaker 2 (11:52):
The students you know are coming up hey, mrs Neese,
we hope you win.
We want Bill Nye to come here.
So even some of the studentsare really like you know,
obviously our students haveFacebook and you know that
social media presence there.
So they're even seeing it andlike, coming to my classroom, yo
, miss Neese, and I'm like higuys Like hey, did you vote?
And they're like yeah, we votedthis morning.
So you know, continue to voteevery day.

(12:14):
It's like a 24 hour.
You vote every 24 hours, youknow and there's that, you know
it's free to vote, you know, andthere's that, um, you know it's
it's it's free to vote.
You know, get on the website.
Um, I know our district hasposted it.
Several of our communitymembers and, and, um, you know,
area businesses have have sharedit as well.
So, thank you to everyone.
You know, just showing yoursupport is is wow, like very,

(12:36):
you know, heartfelt thank you,um.
But yeah, it's pretty, prettyawesome that I was like, oh, my
gosh, like this is where I'msupposed to be, this is the
classroom that I'm supposed tobe with, and it's been amazing.
The support is absolutelyamazing.

Speaker 1 (12:51):
Yeah, and that recognition is amazing and, once
again, anything to get Bill Nyeto come and do an assembly with
us.

Speaker 2 (12:58):
Oh my gosh, how awesome, would that be?

Speaker 1 (13:00):
So is there anything that you would like to leave as
your closing remarks about thisfact?

Speaker 2 (13:06):
that what I am doing through my class, through the
community, you know, even as amother, as a coach, you know

(13:29):
anything.
I'm on several school athleticboards for my kids.
But just what I am doing andthe person that I am is being
noticed and I think that is thetruly like humbling part about
it.
All you know, and just likejust you know, walking down the
street just the other day, youknow, getting into my car
leaving the district, mrs Neknow, and just like just you
know, walking down the streetjust the other day, you know,
getting into my car leaving thedistrict, Mrs Neese,
congratulations Like wow.
It just kind of really putslike a warming, you know place

(13:52):
in your heart that I'm truly inthe right district, I'm truly
part of a supportive community,a supportive districts, and I
mean what there's many teachersthat you know can or can't say
that they are truly supported,you know, by their district, by
their administrators, by theircoworkers, and I can honestly

(14:12):
say that I am, I feel the love,I feel everybody.

Speaker 1 (14:16):
So you know, thank you Truly, thank you Well thank
you so much for coming on to theHusky.

Speaker 2 (14:22):
Huddle, thank you for having me.

Speaker 1 (14:23):
I really appreciate this and thank you so much.
And everybody in the communityyou heard it here Please
continue to support Andrea inthis quest.
Not only will she be recognizedfor the amazing work that she
does here in the district, butalso our school district could
benefit from a visit from BillNye Correct yeah.
That would be awesome too.

(14:44):
Yeah, well, thank you so muchfor coming, and I hope you have
a wonderful day.
Thanks you too.

Speaker 2 (14:49):
Thank you, thank you.