UD Teacher Nitschke Wins Regional Award

Students at Fort Washington Elementary School (FWES) know that third-grade teacher Connie Nitschke is a special person, but now many throughout Montgomery and Bucks counties know, as well.

Barnes & Noble Montgomeryville recently selected Nitschke as the winner of its local “My Favorite Teacher” contest, from among hundreds of entries.

Barnes & Noble asked students to write essays, poems or thank-you letters about influential teachers in their lives, setting forth why the students admire and appreciate those teachers. It was FWES fourth-grader Amanda Theordorson’s essay that led to Nitschke’s win. 

Amanda, who was Nitschke’s student last year, wrote, “[Mrs. Nitschke] believed in me, appreciated my creativity, shared my love of science but wouldn’t let me get away without doing my best ... She helped me realize how making a good effort toward my school work actually made me feel really good about myself.”

The essay also notes that Nitschke “always made learning enjoyable and interesting. The cool thing is she really loves to learn and loves to teach.” 

Amanda decided to write her essay because Nitschke is “a great teacher, and I thought she should be recognized for it.” 

Neither Amanda nor Nitschke was aware of the win until Lisa Vogel, Barnes & Noble Community Relations Manager, showed up at FWES for the awards ceremony. 

“They just called me right up to the office,” said Amanda. “I was a little shocked.”  

Nitschke laughed as she said that she was told to bring her class to a grade-level meeting, and she prepped her class for the worst, thinking the meeting might be about something troublesome. 

Barnes & Noble’s panel of judges selected Amanda’s entry based upon the compelling nature of Nitchke’s inspiring qualities (50 percent), the sincerity of Amanda’s appreciation (25 percent) and the quality of expression and writing (25 percent). 

According to Vogel, the judges, which included Barnes & Noble management and booksellers, selected Amanda’s essay because it “really seemed to have heart. Mrs. Nitschke went above and beyond what a lot of teachers would have done.” 

Vogel added, “The judges were touched by [Amanda’s] relationship with Mrs. Nitschke and how concerned Mrs. Nitschke was about keeping students excited about learning.”   

Vogel had a chance to sit down with Nitschke.“I saw what a wonderful educator she really is,” she said.

The entire FWES third grade watched while Vogel presented Nitschke with the award, which included a certificate acknowledging the achievement and a huge tote filled with a multitude of items, including a set of 10 Sterling Children's Classics books for the class library.

Fellow FWES third-grade teachers Ed Bush and Mary DePaul then presented Nitschke with flowers. 

According to Bush, “[Nitschke] is an outstanding teacher…. This award proves that hard work and dedication can go a long way.”  He added, “It is amazing how much a teacher can influence a student's life. Watching Mrs. Nitschke's face, when her student read the essay aloud, was priceless. It is truly a great honor for teacher and student.” 

Teacher DePaul added that Nitschke “shows by her example that hard work pays off.” 

Nitschke seemed a bit perplexed to receive an award “for just doing my job.” She stressed that Amanda was the real winner here: “Her progression as a writer is just incredible.  I was so impressed by her. I was over the moon for her. The essay was just beautifully written,”  she said.

What meant the most to Nitschke was that Amanda “really picked up on the things I think are important, like getting to know each child.” 

“When I have these kids, they are my own. My students are no different than my kids at home while they’re with me.  [Amanda] picked up on that,” she added.

Nitschke has already starting using her gift and is currently reading A Secret Garden to her class. She had not had a set of classics appropriate for the third-grade reading level, so the awarded book set “was a gift of gold for me,” said Nitschke.  

Nitschke, who has been teaching at Fort Washington Elementary School for virtually all of her 19-year career, lives in Pipersville, Bucks County, with her husband, Eric, and children, Julia, 13, and Luke, almost 11.