Local Educator Vies to be Fla.'s Top Teacher

Daryl Cullipher Trains Her Students to be Teachers Themselves

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – One St Johns County educator stands out among her contemporaries and as a result is one of the nominees to be Florida's "Teacher of the Year."

Daryl Cullipher is training students to become teachers. She teaches a few different courses at St Augustine High School including, teaching prep four, English two honors and composition one and two. Her goal is to get students career ready and challenge them so they'll be successful.

Ms. Cullipher says her students are "future teachers" and "the future of your children's education. "They're the ones who will be inspiring your child.

In order to best reach her students, Ms. Cullipher employs a lot of technology in the classroom. And the students say they really enjoy it.

Matthew Izzo, a sophmore says, "I believe she's meeting us on our level since it's the technology era where technology is in big use between younger kids."

Cullipher has already been named St Johns County "Teacher of the Year" and is now in the top five finalists in the state competition.

When she and her students learned the news everyone got emotional.

Cullipher says, "We were all crying. Every step of the way tat I won something or have gotten an award they fel like they win too.

This teacher says she loves seeing students who work to inspire others.

"We make every profession possible. You have a good doctor. It's because they had a good teacher. You have a good dentist, it's because her or she had a good teacher. You have a good teacher, it's because they had a good teacher."

By the way, St. Augustine High School is home for Daryl Cullipher. It's her alma mater and after finishing college she knew it was the only place she wanted to teach.

She'll find out if she wins the title of "Florida Teacher of the Year" and a $10,000 grant in July.


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