Return to Headlines
The Georgia Chapter of the American Association of Teachers of German (AATG-GA) has selected William Bryan, a German teacher at Sandy Creek High, as the state’s 2017 German Teacher of the Year.
The award is presented annually to a member of AATG-GA who has distinguished himself or herself as a teacher of German either through the performance of his or her students or through exceptional efforts to enhance the teaching of German in the state of Georgia.
Bryan has been teaching German at Sandy Creek High since 1995. He also teaches German at Flat Rock Middle to a select group of eighth grade students. Additionally, Bryan serves on Sandy Creek’s STEM (science, technology, mathematics, engineering) committee. He is the second teacher from the Fayette County Public School System to earn the teacher of the year honor, Kevin Keoguh of McIntosh High was selected for the title in 2003.
Bryan says his work as a teacher is not driven by methodology or technology, but by a search for relevance and meaningful content.
“I try to handle the communicative aspects by identifying crucial speech functions, and then putting students ‘on location’ by building instruction around situational contexts,” he says.
Bryan also reaches outside of the classroom to bring real world experiences and information to his students. He and his students take tours of local German companies, and host guest speakers from global businesses that in the past have included Porsche, Gerresheimer, Nestle, Coca-Cola, Panasonic, and Hella.
Although humbled by being named the AATG-GA Teacher of the Year, Bryan received another honor five days prior that was just as humbling for him. Sandy Creek High’s valedictorian and STAR student, Phaidra Buchanan, named him her STAR teacher.
That’s no ego trip for me, but rather a humility trip. Phaidra is gifted in domains I can’t even comprehend,” says Bryan.
The Georgia Chapter of the American Association of Teachers of German (AATG-GA) has selected William Bryan, a German teacher at Sandy Creek High, as the state’s 2017 German Teacher of the Year.
The award is presented annually to a member of AATG-GA who has distinguished himself or herself as a teacher of German either through the performance of his or her students or through exceptional efforts to enhance the teaching of German in the state of Georgia.
Bryan has been teaching German at Sandy Creek High since 1995. He also teaches German at Flat Rock Middle to a select group of eighth grade students. Additionally, Bryan serves on Sandy Creek’s STEM (science, technology, mathematics, engineering) committee. He is the second teacher from the Fayette County Public School System to earn the teacher of the year honor, Kevin Keoguh of McIntosh High was selected for the title in 2003.
Bryan says his work as a teacher is not driven by methodology or technology, but by a search for relevance and meaningful content.
“I try to handle the communicative aspects by identifying crucial speech functions, and then putting students ‘on location’ by building instruction around situational contexts,” he says.
Bryan also reaches outside of the classroom to bring real world experiences and information to his students. He and his students take tours of local German companies, and host guest speakers from global businesses that in the past have included Porsche, Gerresheimer, Nestle, Coca-Cola, Panasonic, and Hella.
Although humbled by being named the AATG-GA Teacher of the Year, Bryan received another honor five days prior that was just as humbling for him. Sandy Creek High’s valedictorian and STAR student, Phaidra Buchanan, named him her STAR teacher.
That’s no ego trip for me, but rather a humility trip. Phaidra is gifted in domains I can’t even comprehend,” says Bryan.
