Every year Savannah Arts Academy chooses one devoted teacher to take on the title of Teacher of the Year. With so many highly qualified staff members at SAA, the decision who should receive this high award was a difficult one at best. However, one math teacher stood above the rest and so Mr. Daniel Snope swiped the title of Teacher of the Year and went on to take the title for the whole district.
“I was very flattered. I look up to so many of the excellent teachers here at SAA that it was a humbling experience to be picked by them,” says a beaming Mr. Snope about winning the award.
Since Mr. Snope started teaching at SAA, he has taught hundreds of students a range of mathematics classes from algebra to AP calculus. With Mr. Snope being such an integral part of the math program here, it is no wonder that he received the award of Teacher of the Year.
“From the first week that he became a member of the math team at SAA, he was truly a member of the team. The academic vision for our students was his vision as well and he brought so much to the classroom to support that. He is a professional in every sense of the word and his experience in the military enabled him to help his students find relevance in the mathematical concepts studied. He wastes no time getting each class into high gear reviewing necessary concepts for success in current topics,” compliments fellow math teacher, Nancy West.
Mrs. West mentioned an interesting fact about Mr. Snope; he used to be in the military. Mr. Snope was a helicopter pilot with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) at Hunter Army Airfield before he went into teaching. His students will attest to the military influence in the classroom.
“Mr. Snope uses real-life examples from his past experiences, like when he used to drive helicopters, when he’s teaching us a concept. It makes it a lot easier to visualize,” explains AP Calculus student, Matheu Martell.
When asked about what motivates him and what qualities he has that may set him a part from the other highly qualified SAA teachers, Mr. Snope had this to say:
“I just try to make high school a different experience for my students than it was for me,” Mr. Snope reflects, “For instance, when I attended high school there was generally one way to do a math problem and if you did it differently it was wrong. I now know that there are countless ways to solve a problem if you understand the concepts and use correct mathematical reasoning. So I try to teach concepts and also show why we need to know them to succeed in life.”
No student would dare call Mr. Snope’s class easy; however, most students leave with an appreciation for the class that they did not initially anticipate.
“The subject is hard, but Mr. Snope does everything he can to help us,” comments Matheu Martell. “Also, he tells really funny, corny jokes,” Matheu adds with a smile.
It is a huge honor to receive this award, however there is also a level of duty. The winner of the school-wide Teacher of the Year goes on to be a contestant for the district competition. The winning teacher from each school has to fill out paperwork galore describing their teaching styles.
“Upon being selected I was entered into a competition for the District Teacher of the Year and I had to complete a long application and explain my philosophy of teaching and how I feel about current educational issues. I also represent the school at the Teacher’s Professional Senate each month where we discuss ways to improve our school system and bring the ideas to Dr. Lockamy,” explains Mr. Snope.
When Mr. Snope is not trying inspire his students in his classroom, he also spends time riding around on his motorcycle and with his wife, Anne.
It is Mr. Snope’s tireless effort to give his students the best high school experience possible, along with his dedication to this school that makes him Teacher of the Year.