Diana Collins Honored With Philhower Award

Tuesday evening's Board of Education meeting had the feel of an episode of the 1950's television series, "This is Your Life," as Jefferson teacher Diana Collins was honored for winning the 2010 Charles Philhower Fellowship from the Rotary Club of Westfield.

Collins, retiring this year, was honored during the meeting for her receipt of the award. The Philhowser award, named after a former Westfield superintendent of schools, is one of the top honors a Westfield teacher can receive.

During the meeting, Collins was honored with a BOE resolution and testimonials from colleagues and students, along with a slide show of her current classes at Jefferson. Collins, who is well known for her attendance of athletic events of past students, was recognized for her student centered approach to education.

"She is a student centered educator," Jefferson principal Jeanette Munoz said. "You inspire students to examine the larger picture. Your most enduring quality is that a student of yours is a student for life."

In addition to the athletic attendance, Collins has been known to attend arts performances of former students, call many regularly, stay in touch via email, send gifts for students who become parents and clip articles about former students to send to them.

Collins' attendance at events includes the programs staged in the school building as well.

"She is such an avid supporter of the functions of our PTO," Jefferson teacher Tanya Lavin Bizink said.

Schools Superintendent Margaret Dolan shared a nomination letter the awards committee received from a former student about how Collins has remained in touch with her for years, including now as the student seeks an MD/PhD.

In the letter the former student talked about how the former student, whose first experience in the Westfield public schools was in Collins' class, had gotten an answer wrong on a science assignment with Collins. Doing some research, the student was confident there was an issue in the information provided in the textbook. Bringing the information to Collins, the student and teacher conducted some research and determined the book was wrong. Collins gave her the credit and went one step further, she contacted the book publisher. The book publisher changed the book based on the work of Collins and the student and sent corrections to schools nationwide using the textbook.

Mayor Andy Skibitsky attended the meeting to discuss his own experiences with Collins. Three of Skibitsky's children, Hope, Shane and Troy, all had Collins as a teacher at Jefferson.

"When our children came back from Mrs. Collins' class, they were excited," said Skibitsky, who attended the ceremony with his sons, Shane and Troy. "They have learned to love learning."

The mayor jokingly noted that his oldest son, a college student, still has issues with not sharing the same fourth grade teacher as his younger siblings.

"Drew to this day is jealous he did not have Mrs. Collins," Skibitsky said.

A former student of Collins, Tamaques teacher Lauren Coltrera mentioned how she remembers being nervous on her first day of fourth grade and her first day teaching at Jefferson early in her career. She said Collins has been an inspiration for her own career.

"Mrs. Collins, took me and the other students and made us feel like we were the center of the world," Coltrera said. "Mrs. Collins I would like to take the time to thank you for the confidence you have had in me."

Collins' fellow fourth grade teachers talked about how the retiring award winner was a driving force behind the team centered approach to teaching in the fourth grade and the sharing of information between teachers. They discussed how she was a mentor to many of them when they started in the fourth grade and at Jefferson.

"It only takes one moment to realize what a generous and supportive person she is," Stacey McDermott said, noting Collins mentored her during her first days in the Westfield school system.

Jefferson teacher Elizabeth Shull talked about how when she found out she was being transferred from Edison Intermediate School to teach fourth grade at Jefferson, Collins was the first to reach out to her, to give advice and help her make the transition. Collins also had Shull shadow her for a day to get the feel for fourth grade.

"She is a wonderful person, she is a giving and generous person," Shull said. "As the days wind down, I feel a sense of sadness that she won't be here."

A visibly moved Collins took the podium to thank the board and Rotary Club for the award and talk about her teaching philosophy and experiences in the Westfield school system. This included stressing how she wanted the students to learn how to think and ask questions and to think beyond the material being taught in the book and the classroom.

"We are telling them a story, not just telling them the information," she said.

Collins said she has enjoyed working with the parents of her students, noting that she has always wanted a dialogue with the parents during her time in the classroom. She noted the importance of the parents in the educational experience given the parents role as the first teacher of a student.

Collins said the Philhowser award is not just a recognition of her work, but that of the fourth grade team at Jefferson and the teachers of Westfield."

"It is a recognition of my teaching and all of my colleagues," Collins said. "I want to thank my colleagues. We are a team. We at Jefferson are a well oiled machine."