Cameras, camcorders and voice recorders were ready. A crowd of bright, smiling faces gathered at the door. Met with a humble expression that read, you-really-shouldn’t-have, Principal Brad Bailey extended the vibrant orange flowers and announced, “Mr. Zach you are the teacher of the year!”

Nothing but surprise and humility crossed the face of history teacher Chuck Zach when he was revealed as Teacher of the Year. The nominees are selected by the staff of THS in a series of polls, then reduced down to one, final ballot.

“I’m surprised,” Zach said. “I thought there were outstanding people on that list that I really thought were going to get it instead of me.”

Teachers like Zach are what make TISD a great place to be. Someone that can joke around about why they were selected for a prestigious award, while also recognizing that he has a purpose for his dedication, is one of many reasons he was selected. 

“[The students are] the ones that really matter,” Zach said. “They’re the ones that matter more than other teachers that vote for you to be teacher of the year. I appreciate them voting, but it doesn’t really validate what I do.”

Once you’ve met him, it isn’t hard to see why he was nominated for such an honorable award.

“He really goes the extra mile to build relationships,” Principal Brad Bailey said. “He makes everybody in the classroom feel important, and he makes everyone outside the classroom feel important.”