Chemistry teacher James Neff has been awarded the title of USD 383’s 2018 Secondary Teacher of the Year after years of contributing to the education and well-being of MHS students.

The selection process is solely based on staff nominations, as an email goes out building-wide requesting willing teachers to submit a name for the title. Then, those nominations go to teacher Lindsy Clark who recommends the selected teacher to a committee.

“I take whoever had the highest number of nominations and I go talk to them and see if they’re interested in proceeding with the process,” Clark said. “Sometimes teachers that get the most nominations aren’t always interested in pursuing that but when I did talk to Mr. Neff he was interested in continuing with the process.”

His nomination by other staff members at MHS led to an interview by a committee of six peers, one of which is required to be a previous Teacher of the Year candidate.

“It’s a great honor,” Neff said. “These are people who are well thought of, respected in their teaching.”

Neff’s presence at Manhattan High has benefitted both students and teachers, as some of his specific teaching methods have passed along to other classrooms in hopes of bettering the learning of every student.

“A lot of the things that have been unique to me other teachers are now doing,” Neff said. “Having a flipped classroom, doing standards-based grading… for a long time I was the only one and slowly people started picking up on that process and making it their own, doing their own version of that.”

His teaching style, however, still remains very specific to his own humor and students’ interests.

“He makes learning a little more interesting with his analogies,” Hannah Heger, sophomore, said. “He’s a funny guy who makes fun of his students and himself at times. It’s just a fun class.”

He also ensures that the difficulties of learning chemistry are left at the door when students walk into his classroom.

“He kind of doesn’t follow the textbooks exactly, considering he says that the way they do it is a lot longer,” Heger said. “He makes harder work a lot more simple.”

Neff carries through every class a certain mindset of how he impacts each and every one of his students, making sure his influence helps them grow into strong young adults capable of changing the world.

“We don’t move forward without well-educated people and it starts here,” Neff said. “You have to be good critical thinkers to be able to analyze what’s happening in the world around you and you have to be educated to understand what’s happening and to not repeat the mistakes of the past.”

The feeling of being bestowed Teacher of the Year mingles his excitement with his nerves, though in a good way.

“It’s always exciting to be… chosen and that’s a good feeling,” Neff said. “It’s a tremendous honor.”

As for how he will continue through the year with this title, Neff says he will keep being the teacher his students deserve.

“I guess just staying focused on living up to that every day,” Neff said. “Just try to keep doing a good job and focus on being the best teacher I can be.”