We would like to congratulate our 2022/2023 High School Teacher of the Year, Mr. Judd Eidson. “Coach Ed” has been with the district for 4 years. Before that, he spent an entire career at Seneca Public Schools as a Social Sciences teacher and a football / golf coach. He was there for about 24 years and had a lot of success both as a teacher and a coach. In 2018, he was honored as the winner of the Dr. Al Cade Educational Service Award. This is a competitive, highly coveted award in Southwest Missouri issued by Missouri Southern State University to a local educator whose “leadership acts and support have contributed significantly to the enhancement of education in Southwest Missouri.”
Coach Ed is one of the most beloved teachers on campus. His life has been dedicated to students and they’re his top concern. He doesn’t forget a student and students will never forget him. At Wyandotte, he teaches American Government and American History. He has a great depth of knowledge and a great skill at teaching the content. We’d love to let you listen to what some of our staff members, students, and the parents of our students had to say about Coach Ed.
Coach Eidson is greatly respected by his students and fellow faculty members. He is organized and knowledgeable in his instruction. He is a master teacher.
When Coach Eidson came to Wyandotte, he embraced technology in his instruction without hesitation. He was willing to adopt innovative teaching methods and capably adapt his instruction. Judd was already a master teacher; however, implementing new methodology strengthened his teaching. As a result, the students readily accepted him and recognized him as a true professional. He is a remarkable educator, and his students love and respect him.
I have known Judd for many years. He is a great example to students in every regard. His students speak highly of him and greatly respect him as a person and teacher. He puts the success of his students foremost. He wants them to be successful in their academic pursuits and goals.
Coach Ed's rapport with his students is obvious. His students want to be in his classes. They recognize a great teacher. They also know he wants the best for them. Students enjoy being around him in and out of the classroom.
Judd is easily the most liked teacher in our school system by staff and by the student body. If you ever step into his class you'll observe great chemistry with his students, well-informed lessons that bring government, politics, and history alive, and you'll see a first rate teacher performing at their best.
Coach Ed is a culture leader. He is strategically placed in the middle of the hallway and he's not someone the kids want to cross, not because he's mean or overbearing, but because students want his respect. It's hard to overestimate his value to the overall discipline in the school. He volunteers to be in charge of detention every day of every school year. Again, not because he's a discipline focused person, but because he's likable and our students generally try to stay out of detention.
The toughest thing to do when teaching history and government is to keep your own personal politics out of it. The goal is to teach your students how to think, not what to think. You have to give them perspective and a balanced approach to politics that allows them to think for themselves. The greatest testament to Judd's teaching is that our students who are the most vociferous when it comes to politics are the ones attracted most to his classes, and they can’t tell what “side” of politics he’s on. He plays both sides well and gives a fair analysis to the entire political field when teaching. Students are not afraid to think for themselves and develop their own political culture.
Judd might be going through one of the toughest couple of years of his life with the loss of both of his parents in the last two years. Talk to his students and his co-workers though, and you'd never know it. He's honest, genuine, and he's real, but he doesn't bring it into his classroom. I don't know how you do that. Talk to his students and they'd tell you he's their favorite. He's always prepared, and he's at home in the classroom in a way that's genuinely admirable. He is learning more and more technology, which probably takes him out of his comfort zone to some degree. You wouldn't know it though because he always does what's asked of him and he has a growth mentality. He wants to be better every day than he was the day before.
Coach Ed's positive relationships with students and with staff are visible to all who watch his interactions. You can find him at school events, showing support to our school system which is not a characteristic that is found in a teachers. He has invested in our school. He has a deep knowledge of the curriculum he teaches and students look forward to being in his class.
Dedication to the students and staff. While this is one of the toughest years of his life, I am sure, he continues to come daily and give his students quality time and instruction.
Coach Ed is helpful and is willing to give advice. I often find myself visiting with him about school topics as well as life in general. He is a man of character and respect and I have no doubt that his students and staff around him view him in the same way.
Coach Ed is an OVERCOMER! I think of strength when I think of him. He has proven this over and over again this year! I have so much respect for this man as I have witnessed him face some significant life changes with dignity and grace while also not being afraid to ask for prayer, guidance and a listening ear.
Coach Ed is kind, knowledgeable, patient, has a heart for the kids, and is resilient
Coach Eidson is consistent in his teaching and is fair to all students across the board. They respect him and they work hard for him, even when his subject is very in-depth and requires critical thinking. He pushes the students to dig deeper and to give their very best academically. He is extremely knowledgeable in his own curriculum and is confident in his ability to educate.
WOW - Coach Eid is beloved at this school, and coming in I was so nervous! At back-to-school night, the kids were flying to his door and hugging him, so I knew immediately that he was a good one. Throughout this semester, the kids have "grumbled" about his workload, but they always do it and it is preparing them for further education. Personally, from the get-go, he has been incredibly kind to me and is so supportive and encouraging.
Coach Eid has had an incredibly tough year personally, yet he comes in every day with a smile and loves the kids with all of his heart. I think resiliency is an incredible strength of his. He is candid with everyone that this season has been tough, but he chooses to dive in to his work rather than sulk in the background (of which absolutely no one would judge if he did). As the year has gotten tougher for him personally, he has seemed to develop stronger relationships with our students, and I think most of that is from his honesty and letting them see his heart and know the real world is hard sometimes, but we have to push through it and cling to HOPE. I could not imagine a more worthy candidate for teacher of the year. He has inspired me and countless others.
Great teacher and example for kids to be around.
The high school principal, Matt Robertson, said this about him:
“Coach Ed is a genuine, real, authentic man. He’s a great teacher. I want to be him when I grow up! He could receive this award every year (and is nominated every single year) because he’s such a great educator. I love how he contributes to the school climate, how he relates to our student body, his masterful approach to classroom management, and I love observing his classes because he’s such a good teacher. He is universally respected and has taught all of us these last couple of years how important it is to just keep showing up and doing your job in spite of everything that life can throw at you. There’s great value in the example he’s given all of us, and especially to students who sometimes know how difficult life can be. It’s hard for any of us to not be passionate about our advocacy for who he is as a person.”
For these reasons and a whole lot more, we would like to congratulate Judd Eidson as our High School Teacher of the Year!!