Teacher Spotlight: Todd Gilliland
Mr. Gilliland, or Mr. G as his students like to call him, is today’s person in the Scioto County Teacher Spotlight. The Teacher Spotlight focuses on educators in Scioto County that are a positive influence on the next generation of our community.
Mr. G has been a teacher at Portsmouth West High School for four years. Before he taught at West he was a teacher at East, where he is an alumni, and Green High School. He is also a graduate of Shawnee State University.
Mr. G was nominated by Hayden Runions, a junior at Portsmouth West High School, who is currently taking Mr. G’s government course. He also takes an online class where Mr. G serves as the moderator, so he spends upwards of two hours every day with this teacher.
When asked what it was about Mr. G that made him qualified for the Teacher Spotlight, Hayden had this to say: “The best thing about Mr. G is how much he cares. He doesn’t always get to teach things that people are interested in, being a Government teacher, but it still is always fun to learn because he just makes it so entertaining to learn something new.”
As a fellow student of Portsmouth West, I have to agree with Hayden. I have three different classes with Mr. G as my teacher, and he manages to keep every moment interesting, no matter how dull the subject matter he has to teach.
Mr. G’s positive impact on Portsmouth West is not only limited to the classroom, though. He is also the Assistant Football Coach for the Portsmouth West Senators. He works hard to ensure that his team is performing to the best of their ability, and his impact on these young athletes is clear in both their motivation and dedication.
Mr. G also hosts a youth leadership meeting every Friday morning in his classroom to help motivate students to strive for greatness. He receives no extra pay for this group and does it purely out of his love for teaching the next generation. After speaking to students who attend this leadership meeting every week, it is clear that they are both inspired and motivated by the quest speakers and leadership activities that Mr. G brings in every week.
Mr. G is an excellent example of what makes a teacher qualified for the Scioto County Teacher Spotlight because he goes above and beyond the call of duty in order to provide his students with stellar education and life skills in a way that is both interesting and entertaining for them. He also works outside of the classroom to keep his students motivated and to train the future leaders of Scioto County. For that, he is a perfect candidate for the Scioto County Teacher Spotlight.
Do you or your child have a teacher they’d like to nominate for the Scioto County Teacher Spotlight? If so, email Evan Green at Evan.Daily.Green@gmail.com for the chance to be interviewed and have your favorite teacher featured on the Scioto County Daily News.
