The Geauga Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) is proud to announce that Bruce Cline, Gaitway High School Intervention Specialist focusing on English and Science, has been selected as the 2023 Conservation Teacher of the Year! Individuals are chosen for their exemplary efforts, accomplishments, and commitment to conservation education.
Bruce began teaching 42 years ago at Mentor Christian School and for the last 11 years he has been at Gaitway High School, a unique school serving students with social and emotional disabilities that make it difficult for them to be successful in the more traditional school setting. Located at Fieldstone Farm Therapy Riding Center in Bainbridge Township (Geauga County), Gaitway serves students from eleven school districts in four counties.
Bruce believes teaching begins with relationships and has witnessed through the years that students are more likely to be responsive when they know you genuinely care for their success. Some of his qualities that really shine include his kindness, curiosity, intelligence, love of life, gratitude, wisdom, and wit.
Throughout his career at Gaitway High School, Bruce has gone above and beyond to engage his students in many learning opportunities available throughout the county and community to positively impact the students’ interests and proficiency in the sciences. Some examples and accomplishments include:
- Provides hands-on lessons for students to study the pond, forest, and meadow ecosystems of their campus – including taking water samples in their pond, wildlife observations, hiking the trails, fishing, and other inquiry-based learning experiences.
- Assisted with an Ag in the Classroom grant from Geauga SWCD to build a small greenhouse as a project-based learning assignment. Unfortunately the greenhouse succumbed to high winds, but luckily, they received a “Day of Giving” award and a more permanent structure is currently under constructed.
- Uses the greenhouse projects to help incorporate and reinforce math and language arts standards. The students also plant edible garnishes in raised beds that are sold to local restaurants.
- Received the Franklin B. Walter Outstanding Educator Award for making extraordinary contributions to the education of students with disabilities.
- Throughout the years, Bruce’s students have participated in Geauga SWCD’s NACD Poster Contests. In fact Bruce is one of the only teachers we know who attended our annual meeting years ago to support one of his winning students!
- This summer Bruce whole-heartedly participated in Geauga & Portage SWCD’s Advanced Wonders of Watersheds: A Rally for Wetlands professional development workshop and has incorporated lessons and resources into his classroom.
Bruce is passionate about enabling each student to reach his/her fullest potential. From his earliest days as an educator, he has utilized people and places within the community to strengthen his students’ sense of place and understanding of environmental stewardship. Congratulations to Bruce for being chosen as the Conservation Teacher of the Year. His efforts fostering environmental stewardship in secondary students is helping to shape their future and the future of Geauga County!
