Congratulations to Mrs.Olsen for winning the Governor’s Educator of the Year Award. Mrs. Olsen started teaching in the Spring of 2001. Her first teaching job was at Morristown High School before she started teaching at West Morris. Mrs. Olsen teaches AP World History, AP European History, Holocaust and Genocide Studies, and the Personal and Professional Skills class for IBCP students. Mrs. Olsen says, “The mainstay for me has always been World History since I started teaching. I have taught European history periodically, including the U.S. 1 and 2 classes. I’ve also taught psychology.”
Mrs. Olsen explains that she doesn’t necessarily have a favorite class because she says, “It depends on the topic and the material we are working on.” With this, she talks about how there are times she likes a topic because its delivery is easier, and other times when she likes a topic but it is out of her comfort zone.
Mrs. Olsen is known for having an exceptional way to deliver information to her students. One example is her exposure to the Harkness Method, where the teacher gives up the need to “guide” students to the “right” solution instead of actively participating in the discussion. Multiple graded harkness discussions occur in her classes encouraging students to collaborate and respect one another, understanding that every voice carries the same valuable weight. Mrs. Olsen expressed, “I don’t know if any other aspects of my teaching are unique, I’ve always just tried to live up to other people in the building that I regard as phenomenal teachers.”
A day in Mrs.Olsen’s life starts by getting her house up, getting her children ready for the school day, taking care of her two dogs, heading down to West Morris, and going through her pact schedule. After school, she runs afternoon errands, eats dinner, and winds down by listening to music. “Jeopardy is always a part of my nightly routine,” Mrs. Olsen says.
The subject of history has always interested Mrs. Olsen. She had a teacher her junior year of high school that taught history, and always made her feel engaged and excited that it helped form her love for the subject. She explained it as “An hour of entertainment where I learned a lot but I also felt really entertained. I remember being in that class and just wanting to know so much more about all of the different stories my teacher was sharing.” This helped set Mrs. Olsen up for her major in history. She had no idea if she had talent with teaching but the idea of it interested her.
When asked how Mrs. Olsen feels about this achievement she said, “I feel honored. It’s extra special knowing it’s something that was decided upon my colleagues. I feel incredibly humbled and honored to be recognized in such a wonderful way.”
Congratulations to Mrs. Olsen!