Daughter follows mom's footsteps as teacher of year

Michelle Morgan, winner of the 2012-13 Teacher of the Year award, credits her mother's support with encouraging her to become a teacher.

The Blade/Andy Morrison
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Michelle Morgan, winner of the 2012-13 Teacher of the Year award, credits her mother's support with encouraging her to become a teacher.

Imagine being a teacher and having both of your children as students.

That was the case for Susan Oleshansky, whose children, Michael and Michelle, were students in her classroom when they attended McCord Junior High in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

"My expectations were the same for them as they were for all my students," Mrs. Oleshansky said. A teacher for 32 years, she has been instructing students at the junior high in Sylvania for 29 of those years.

"Teaching is not a job, it is part of my soul; it is what defines me," she said. She was named Sylvania Schools Educator of the Year in 1991.

Susan Oleshansky, instructing seventh graders in math at McCord Junior High School, was a classroom teacher for both her children.

This year her daughter, Michelle Morgan, received the same award.

Mrs. Morgan has worked in the Sylvania system for 12 years and teaches fourth grade at Central Elementary. She was presented with the 2012-2013 Educator of the Year award during a recent teachers' meeting.

"I was sitting next to Michelle," Mrs. Oleshansky said. As superintendent Brad Rieger described the qualities of this year's teacher of the year, "and read excerpts from what parents had written about this educator, my heart was beating."

After Mrs. Morgan's name was read, her mother said, "I couldn't have been more proud, both as her mom, as well as a colleague, and as my best friend." Mrs. Morgan agreed that it was a surprise, but having her mother's support was extra special.

"I was in total shock," Mrs. Morgan said. "It felt amazing to win an award for something I absolutely love to do. Although teaching is my job, it is also my passion."

She credits her mother's support with encouraging her to become a teacher.

"Mrs. O., aka Mom, is the reason I am a teacher," she said. "She has shared in every experience along the way from declaring education as my major at Miami University to receiving my Teacher of the Year award from Dr. Rieger the first day of school."

Nancy Crandell, Sylvania Schools spokesman, said Mrs. Morgan was nominated for the award by a parent of one of her students.

"She is a master teacher who infuses technology into her classroom teaching," Ms. Crandell said. "She was nominated by a parent for her commitment to the children she teaches, often times beyond the classroom."

Several other Sylvania Schools teachers and administrators were also recently honored, including Alan Bacho as administrator of the year and teachers Marian Mallon, Kelly Heil and Dan Dick for various teaching awards. Ms. Crandell said a few more teachers are to be recognized at a school board meeting set for October.