Maple Glen Teacher Tancredi Wins B&N "Favorite Teacher" Award

Teachers of the Upper Dublin School District are making it an annual exercise to become favorites of their students. Well, they might have always done so, but now they are being officially recognized for their efforts in Barnes & Noble's yearly "My Favorite Teacher" contest.

Michael Tancredi, third-grade teacher at , is the honoree for 2012, as he was selected as the local winner for the Barnes & Noble in Willow Grove. Students in area school districts were invited to nominate their favorite teachers by writing essays, poems, or thank you letters showing why they admire their teacher.

A student in Tancredi's class, also named Michael, opted to write a poem that got his teacher the nod.

"I am really honored that Michael would take his time to write about me and enter the B&N contest," said Tancredi when asked about how it felt to win the award. “Michael is a great student and a fine young man who loves to learn. He makes my job easy."

Tancredi is in his fifth-year at Upper Dublin and made teaching a second career when he switched from the corporate world in 2001. Tancredi says there is no great secret to his teaching methods.

"My goal is to create a classroom that is a peaceful, low stress environment where children feel comfortable and secure enough to take chances," Tancredi said. "It is very important for me to bond with each child and for us to laugh together everyday.  I think children enjoy my class because I truly enjoy spending my days with them. We work very hard, but always make time for fun."

Tancredi will now be honored at an event at the Willow Grove Barnes & Noble and entered into a regional competition. Six regional winners will receive a NOOK eReader and $500 gift card, and from that pool a "Barnes & Noble National Teacher of the Year" will be chosen and awarded $5,000.

Last year, Fort Washington Elementary School third-grade teacher Connie Nitschke .