Betsy Gonzales named National History Teacher of the Year

Betsy Gonzales has been teaching for 22 years. On Wednesday she was recognized for her efforts.

Gonzales, who teaches at Cedar Park Middle School in the Leander Independent School District, was named Teacher of the Year by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History and the Preserve American Initiative. This is a national teaching award, voted on by her peers.

"It's long overdue," fellow teacher Phillip Sozansky said.

Sozansky learned a lot about teaching, from Gonzales.

"I want to engage them in activities that will make them want to learn about history. Making history fun," Gonzales said.

"I think that all people, as they've grown up they've encountered social studies teachers that have had very dry, strictly book-oriented approach to history. That is definitely not Betsy," Sozansky said.

Gonzales incorporates skits, poetry, movies and whatever else her imagination comes up with into her lessons. Her students' grades and TAKS score are proof her teaching method works.

"We read to them excerpts from Roots, and they listen and they're very quiet, because it's dark. I'm just reading to them and they've got their eyes closed and they're just supposed to be thinking about that it was like to be on a slave ship," Gonzales said.

Gonzales wants her lessons to lead to students getting involved in their community. She teaches that each person can make their own history.

"Two things keep me teaching, my students and my colleagues. And Betsy ranks foremost among them," Sozansky said.

Gonzales isn't sure how long she'll be teaching.

"When it's not fun anymore, then I will retire," she said.