Name/Title
Waupun Teacher of the Year Awards for 1972Scope and Content
Historical information on Waupun Teacher of the Year Awards in 1972 for 1976 Bicentennial Celebration in Waupun, WI.
*Facts are typed and was scanned with mistakes, if any, left uncorrected.
TEACHER OF THE YEAR AWARDS –
The "State Teacher of the Year" award was given to a Waupun teacher in 1972. Bill Richardson, a teacher in the Waupun system for 22 years, was given this award.
Mr. Richardson was hired in 1950 to teach industrial arts, social science and driver education. He soon added and taught courses in metal as well as wood in industrial arts. Under his guidance
electricity and electronics were added to the school educational program.
In 1968 he began developing a series of teaching devices for instruction and evaluation of dual controlled driver education vehicles, for his driver education courses. It was United States government patented in June, 1971. The teach wing aid is presently produced by a Michigan firm and is being marketed nationally as the "Richardson Driver Education Aid". The device increases the effectiveness of a the "behind the wheel" training by simulating, awareness needs in the vehicle.
The driver education car is equipped with a control box on the floor which allows the instructor to control the gauges, ignition, horn, buzzer, and red and green lights in the rear window used for developing the habit of checking the rear view mirror.
Mr. Richardson has also invented a tape communication center for orientation sessions in the driver ed car which consists of a tape player, distribution box and earphones, with individual volume controls. A series of pictures taken on the route are coordinated with the cassette tapes.
During the orientation sessions, students listen to tapes and look at pictures that are associated with the lesson they will be driving next.
The Richardsons have two grown children and one grandchild.
Mrs. Ken (Agnes) Bertsch, a resident of Waupun, but a teacher in the Beaver Dam school system was awarded an "Outstanding Elementary 'leacher of America" for 1973. She was currently teaching third grade at Trenton Elementary School at Route #1, Beaver Dam.
Mrs. Bertsch is a direct descendant of the founders of Waupun and has been a teacher for 26 years, dividing her time between several city and rural schools of both Dodge and Fond du Lac counties.
She has an avid interest in history writing and was active in many educational associations, At this writing she has retired, because of the ill health of her husband. The Bertschs have three grown daughters.Acquisition
Accession
2016.0075Source or Donor
Waupun Area Chamber of CommerceAcquisition Method
Donation
