By Marianne Bartman Special to the Intermountain Catholic SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Council of Teachers of English has named Judge Memorial Catholic High School teacher Christopher Sloan as its 2011 "Veteran Teacher of the Year." He will be honored at the organization’s annual conference on Oct. 7, at the Radisson Salt Lake City Downtown. Sloan, of Salt Lake City, joined the Judge Memorial Catholic High School faculty in 1985 and currently teaches AP composition and English language, digital photography and new media. Sloan received his B.A. from Carroll College and an M.Ed. from the University of Utah. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate at Michigan State University. Sloan serves as the advisory and mentor to the Judge Memorial student newspaper staff, the Bulldog Press, and has developed a culture of excellence. The publication routinely wins awards each year, including top honors from the Salt Lake Tribune, the Utah Press Association, the Utah Journalism Educators Association, and by the National Scholastic Press Association, which four times has awarded the Bulldog Press "Best of Show" at their national convention. "Mr. Sloan is the sole reason I want to be a journalist," said Katie Harrington, a 2009 graduate of Judge Memorial who was named Utah Press Association’s "Super Journalist" for 2008-2009. "Aside from my parents, he is the most influential person in my life. Not only has he taught me so much, one of the best things about him is that he wants to learn from me and the rest of the staff. He’s the best." Sloan contributes much of the paper’s success to the students. "I have really talented students and, with the support of Judge administration, they are allowed to do really good things," said Sloan. "They are very active in the school community but they are also good writers. They want to do their job and do it well they are highly motivated. They represent a real range of views." Students in Sloan’s advanced photography class have participated in the Judge Memorial Alumni and Student Art Show for the past three years. Two students in Sloan’s advanced photography class received awards as part of the 2011 Utah State Fair’s Photography Exhibit. "Chris describes himself simply as a teacher. To know Chris and what he does, however, is to know that teaching is not simply his work, it is his lifestyle, his passion, his purpose," said Rick Bartman, principal at Judge Memorial. "Teaching is not only what Chris does, it is who he is. Of all the teaching we do, teaching by example is perhaps the most effective. Simply put, Chris makes us all want to be better educators." Sloan is the second teacher from Judge Memorial to receive this award, following in the footsteps of Tim Dolan, UCTE "Teacher of the Year" in 2000. Dolan is now on faculty at Westminster College. "I’ve worked with many talented and effective teachers over the years, but Chris is one of the best," said Linda Simpson, also a member of the Judge English faculty, who nominated Sloan for the award. "His professionalism is apparent in his classroom. Knowledgeable and prepared, he sets high standards for his students. Chris epitomizes good teaching, collegiality, and integrity." Each summer the Utah Council of Teachers of English solicits nominations for their teacher of the year. From the submitted nominees, a pool of finalists is chosen. Those finalists are required to submit a portfolio that includes letters of recommendation, along with an account of how the finalist meets the award criteria in the areas of teaching, service and professional activities. From the pool of finalists, UCTE selects three recipients – new teacher, mid-career teacher, and veteran teacher. Sloan and his wife, Mary, are the parents of four children: Cole, Class of 2003; Rosalie, Class of 2006; Joe, Class of 2011; and Sean, Class of 2013.
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