South River’s Jodie Hogan Named Teacher of the Year

Anne Arundel County’s top educators gathered in one place Monday for an evening devoted to thanking them for all their hard work.  

The top honor of the 2012-2013 Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS) Teacher of the Year went to South River High School Spanish teacher Jodie Hogan.

“It feels amazing, absolutely amazing and it is such a blessing to be able to represent Anne Arundel County,” Hogan said. “I just feel incredibly blessed because I really love what I do.”

Debora Coates Consugar, a teacher at The Summit School, was named the 2012-2013 Private Schools Teacher of the Year.

“I am overwhelmed,” Consugar said. “I don’t know how I can top this … The people I work with are amazing people.”

Hogan and Consugar, along with the 50 other teacher nominees, were all honored Monday night at the 27th annual Excellence in Education Awards banquet held at the BWI Marriott Hotel in Linthicum.

“The annual Teacher of the Year gala is about recognizing outstanding teachers across our county,” said AACPS Superintendent Kevin Maxwell. “They show a passion. When we go to visit the finalists you just see a passion in the classroom that is contagious.”

Hogan is the first South River teacher—and first world and classical languages teacher—to win the award since its inception in 1986-1987. Hogan began teaching at South River in 1999 and has spent her entire career with the school.

While Hogan’s smile could hardly be contained after she won, there may have been one person in the room more excited than she was—her husband, Patrick Hogan.

“Oh my gosh he was so excited,” Hogan said. “I was trying to stay very calm and he was very nervous.”

In her acceptance speech, Hogan thanked her family, including her husband and her mother who was also on hand at the banquet. She credited her principal for his encouragement, but said it’s the students who really inspire her to excel.

“I have such a passion for teaching,” Hogan said. “I love my students. It is exciting to see them learn and watch them learn every day. To be recognized for that is just an incredible feeling.”

Hogan’s incredible feeling was written all over her face as the night came to an end. The Teacher of the Year couldn’t stop smiling. But perhaps the only smile in the room that was brighter than Hogan’s was that of her husband.

“He is my number one cheerleader,” Hogan added.

For a complete list of all the nominees honored on Monday, visit Anne Arundel Patch.