ESCONDIDO -- Ted Meyer had to cut his lecture on European history short Friday morning after the superintendent, a board member, teachers and former students walked in unannounced to tell him he had been selected the Escondido Union High School District teacher of the year.
"There's nothing better than getting a pat on the head and a 'Nice job' from the people you work with," the surprised Orange Glen High School teacher said after receiving a bouquet of flowers from Trustee Tina Pope and a bundle of balloons that read "Congratulations!" and "Thanks!" from. Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Steve Boyle.
Meyer joked that he had some homework ahead of him, as the recognition now requires him to submit an essay to the County Office of Education for consideration as the county's teacher of the year. The competitions are precursors to the state and, ultimately, national teacher of the year competitions.
Meyer was quick to acknowledge his students as his motivation.
"These are the folks that really made it worthwhile to be here," he said.
Meyer's pride in his students doesn't stop at their graduations. Pennants hanging in his classroom show the many universities his former students have attended: Berkeley, Princeton, Occidental, Chico, San Diego State, University of San Diego, San Jose State, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and UC San Diego, among others. Some of his seniors have been accepted to Harvard, Yale and Cornell, he said.
Student Kelsey Landreth, a senior in Meyer's European history class, said her teacher makes it clear that he loves what he does.
"When you're in class, he gets into it," she said. "That's the best part. He wants to be in class."
Meyer's interest in world history can barely be contained in his classroom, which he has covered, from walls to ceilings, in maps. Besides teaching advanced placement European history, which had not been taught at the school for 12 years before he brought it back, Meyer also teaches advanced placement U.S. history. He also presides over the Homework Club, which begins at 6:30 a.m. four days a week.
Meyer spent 20 years in the advertising business before becoming a teacher. He started at Orange Glen High as a music director in 1998 and became a social science teacher in 2001.
Contact staff writer Gary Warth at (760) 740-5410 or gwarth@nctimes.com.
