April 16, 2024, GLENVILLE, WV –
Gilmer County High School has announced that Mr. Jacob Wolfe has been selected as the 2023-2024 GCHS Teacher of the Year. Mr. Wolfe has taught for eleven years: six of those in Braxton County and the past five years at Gilmer County High School as a health, physical education, and driver’s education teacher.
Mr. Wolfe is a native of Glenville, WV where he attended Gilmer County High School. As a student, he loved sports (especially baseball) and physical education. After graduating from GCHS, Wolfe attended Glenville State University (then Glenville State College) and obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Physical and Health Education. Next, he went on to obtain his endorsement in Driver’s Education from Shepherd University.
Pursuing education was a natural choice for Wolfe, as it provided the right set of circumstances that would allow him to stay close to the community he loved. “I am a big hometown boy and never really wanted to leave the county,” said Wolfe, “so what first got me into education was the opportunity to work and stay close to home.” Coaching is another key reason why Wolfe sought a career in education as well. As a youth, he loved sports, and he knew that teaching would give him the chance to coach and mentor student-athletes.
“I began my teaching career out of college teaching Dance, Physical Education, and Weightlifting classes at Braxton County High School,” said Wolfe. I eventually ended up teaching some Driver's Education at Braxton and even taught one health class in my time there.” When Mr. Wolfe was hired at Gilmer, he was assigned to drivers education and middle school physical education. Over the years, he has added both high school and middle school health to his repertoire.
Mr. Wolfe’s passion for education is clear to anyone who steps inside his classroom, as he is constantly planning and implementing engaging activities to maximize student learning. He has been a trailblazer this year, working collaboratively with teachers and staff to create fun and inventive educational experiences, such as the “Body Theme Park STEM Project,” clinical evaluation scenarios for health class, and conflict resolution/peer mediation simulations. These new experiences were designed to promote collaboration between grade level peers, upperclassmen, staff, and administrators in order to build a sense of community while promoting student ownership of learning. “To be honest, I enjoy my job and relating with students,” said Wolfe. “Trying to encourage students to become as motivated about the subjects that I find truly interesting.” In the future, he hopes to continue to establish a foundation for success for the middle school health program that synergizes with high school health, science, healthcare, and STEAM courses. These efforts will ideally facilitate learning for students so that they can achieve academic success and thrive moving forward – especially in STEAM-related classes. “I hope to continue using a good working relationship with our STEAM lab teacher [Mrs. Ashley Barker] to engage students in various ways that make it easier for them to learn."
Beyond the fact that he gets to coach state-championship qualifying teams, Mr. Wolfe truly enjoys the day-to-day classroom experience as a teacher at Gilmer County High School. “My enjoyment comes from the students and the relationships that you develop. I really enjoy coming to work every day and developing relationships with the students,” Wolfe stated. “Trying to survive car rides and the adventures that brings has given me a few gray hairs -- but that makes my job fun.”
Mr. Wolfe was selected by the faculty of Gilmer County High School to receive the honor of Teacher of the Year, which recognizes exemplary teachers who go above and beyond to inspire, empower, and engage students to reach their educational goals. It is really an honor,” Wolfe said, when asked about the award. “It feels great that my peers have such a respect for the amount of work that I put in to my profession.”
Mr. Wolfe will now compete at the county level competition for Gilmer County Teacher of the Year.