Tri County Tech instructor named regional new teacher of the year
Tri County Tech educator Wyatt Gerth was named the Association for Career and Technical Education's Region IV New Teacher of the Year.
On April 19, Creative Marketing Communications Instructor Gerth was selected from among educators in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas.
He previously won the Oklahoma Association of Career and Technology Education's 2023 New Teacher of the Year.
This award honors the finest career and technical education teachers at the middle/secondary school level who have demonstrated innovation in the classroom, commitment to their students and dedication to career and technical education, according to a Tri County Tech release.
"It's very humbling," Gerth said. ". . . I’m able to teach the way I do in the classroom because of Tri County Tech's support."
As a teacher in Tri County Tech's Creative Marketing Communications program, Gerth is all about using his enthusiasm for marketing to come up with out-of-the-box projects that engage his students.
His most popular project, "No Way, Kanye," challenges students to find a celebrity candidate they think could beat Kanye in an election. Students pitch their candidates and create campaign materials, including posters, ads, and debate points. Past candidates have included students' celebrity favorites such as Woody from Toy Story and Patrick Mahomes.
Having fun in Gerth's class is a given, but students will also gain practical skills like researching, campaign-building and mastering the Adobe Creative Suite, the release said.
"Mr. Gerth is one of the most creative instructors I've had the pleasure to work with," Tri County Tech Instructional Director Dr. Dennis Grover said. "He is always looking for new ways to engage his students' creativity in a way that makes learning fun while preparing them for the rigor of college classes. He embraces the continual change that technology brings to his profession, incorporating it into his lessons so his students can be fully prepared."
Gerth came to teaching in a roundabout way. As a graduate of the University of Oklahoma with an advertising degree, he originally dreamed of attending Chicago Portfolio School to work at a big agency.
But when an opportunity came up to work in the marketing department at Tri County Tech, it was too perfect to turn down. Then, he was asked if he'd be interested in teaching students. After some hesitation, he agreed to take on an instructor role. It was a match made in heaven.
"I had no intention of being here, but now I can't imagine being anywhere else," Gerth said.
For Gerth, the most meaningful part of teaching is seeing the impact his program can have on students. When Gerth ran into a former student at a local restaurant, the student shared that it was her last shift as a waitress. She leveraged the skills she gained in Gerth's class to find a graphic design job, allowing the former student to launch her career.
Another student came into the high school Creative Marketing Communication program needing help with public speaking. She overcame her fears and found her voice by presenting her projects in Gerth's class. Now, she's attending OU to become a news anchor, the release said.
"I love seeing my former students excel," Gerth said. "That's pretty remarkable."
Based in Bartlesville, Tri County Tech serves students from Washington, Osage, and Nowata counties. Find out more about Tri County Tech’s high school programs by visiting tricountytech.edu/highschool.
This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: Tri County Tech instructor named Region IV news teacher of the year
