Kirkwood Teacher of the Year Combines Service and Learning

Giraffes watch over the students in Maria Stobbe’s seventh grade communication arts classroom.

The giraffes on her walls at are there to remind kids to take a chance.

“They need to stretch and stick their necks out and take risks, because writing is such a personal thing,” said Stobbe, who was named Kirkwood  and now is a finalist for the state award.

Stobbe is willing to take her own chances, tackling the same writing assignments as her students, showing them first-hand that even adults grapple with rough drafts, revising -- even writer’s block.

“They need to see us struggling, too,” she said.

But Stobbe’s passion for pushing kids past their perceived limits goes beyond the classroom.

As district facilitator for service learning, she helps teachers throughout the incorporate service into their school day.

Thanks in part to Stobbe, you might find Kirkwood students cleaning wheelchairs at a nursing home as part of a study on aging, creating a videotaped public service announcement against bullying for character development, or cheering on Special Olympic athletes for a segment on disability awareness.

The goal is to show students they have the power to make a difference. 

“Kids need to give back to their world,” she said. “They need to see how their learning can have an impact on their world.”

The 41-year-old Kirkwood resident will be in Jefferson City on Monday with five other finalists for the state teacher of the year award. Each candidate will be interviewed for 30 minutes by a panel put together by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. 

The winner will receive a cash award and other prizes, be recognized at a banquet sponsored by the Missouri Board of Education and be eligible for the national Teacher of the Year program.

“She’s one of the best teachers I’ve ever had,” said Kaitlin Kilby, 13, who was in Stobbe’s class last year. “She helps students become better learners and also better individuals. She’s very inspiring.”

Stobbe is the second teacher in two years to be considered for the statewide title. Last year, science teacher Bob Becker was named Missouri Teacher of the Year.

Stobbe has taught in Kirkwood for 15 years, the last seven at NKMS. Principal Tim Cochran -- whose brother, Eric Cochran, a social studies teacher at Lindbergh High School, happens to be another of the six finalists – described Stobbe as a “fabulous” and "selfless" teacher.

“She’s really committed to creating an environment that values the development of the whole child,” Cochran said.

Stobbe serves as the department head for the communication arts teachers at NKMS but also puts in many hours helping teachers brainstorm ways to connect what they are teaching in the classroom to the world beyond. (Read more about service learning on the district website.)

“She’s made a big impact on North’s approach to service learning and she’s a resource for all of our teachers,” Cochran said. “She’s passionate about it. It’s part of who she is, not just as a teacher but as a parent and a member of the community.”

Stobbe said she grew up in a family that believed in giving back and tried to impart those values to her own four children, as well as the students of Kirkwood.

“Anytime kids learn to be more empathetic, our world’s going to be better off,” she said.

In addition to Stobbe and Cochran, the state teacher of the year finalists are:

• Jennifer DeFeo, a sixth-grade social studies teacher from Jefferson City;
• Gina Johnson, a seventh-grade science teacher from Raymore-Peculiar School District;
• Kristen Merrell, a third-grader teacher from Lee’s Summit;
• Vicki Nelson, a special education teacher from the Special School District of St. Louis County.

UPDATE: The Kansas City Star reported Tuesday that Kristen Merrell, of Lee's Summit, was named Missouri Teacher of the Year.