Delcastle Technical High has named Tim Dorsey as Teacher of the Year for 2024. Mr. Dorsey, who has been teaching for 11 years, is a proud product of Delaware public schools, having graduated from Glasgow High School, the University of Delaware, and Wilmington University. He started his teaching career at Smyrna High School, but has been at Delcastle for the past eight years.
In addition to teaching, Mr. Dorsey has coached cross country for six years, led student council for five years, and coached Science Olympiad for eight years. In the summers, he has taught camps with the Delaware Nature Society and enrichment programs with Upward Bound at the University of Delaware.
When asked about his favorite memory as a Delcastle teacher, Mr. Dorsey shared, "Thinking back to one specific thing it would be creating and hosting the COLD Leadership Conference for our Delcastle student leaders. A group of advisors and teachers created and hosted a weekend leadership retreat for students at Camp Tockwogh. However, there are many other wonderful memories from labs and activities in the classroom, to time spent coaching Cross Country and Science Olympiad."
Over the years, Mr. Dorsey's role as a teacher has evolved. "As a teacher, I’ve been able to incorporate my life experiences into the classroom to show the application and relevance of the skills and material we learn in class," he explained. "Focusing on ‘why’ a particular topic or skill is relevant and on what the students are doing with that has really transformed my teaching practice."
Mr. Dorsey is passionate about incorporating culturally relevant teaching into his classroom. He said, "Delcastle is a school for students from all backgrounds and cultures across New Castle County. I’ve taken a great interest in learning about students’ backgrounds and celebrating the diverse perspectives and cultures in my classroom. Chemistry provides great opportunities to talk about food and cooking methods and traditions. Integrated Science provides a chance to look at sustainability challenges facing different geographical regions. This approach makes class engaging and very relevant for students."
When asked about a policy he would like to change, Mr. Dorsey said, "If I could change one policy impacting education, I would work to address issues related to mental health. Students are facing so many challenges and stressors impacting mental health, and it is deeply impacting learning in the classroom."
Mr. Dorsey's hope for his students when they leave his class is that they feel connected. "I want students to feel connected to what we are doing and learning in class, and I hope students feel connected to their peers, school, and community. Our students at Delcastle are immersed in learning about a technical career area, so helping them find connections between their career areas and what we are learning in our science classes is incredibly powerful. It really adds another dimension to their education and brings up lots of great questions and learning opportunities for the students and for me."
In response to being named Delcastle's Teacher of the Year, Mr. Dorsey said, "I am incredibly honored to be Delcastle’s Teacher of the Year. Being surrounded by such amazing individuals motivates me to strive for excellence in all that I do. They truly have been some of the most amazing people, and I am thankful to learn and grow with them each and every day!"
It's clear that Mr. Tim Dorsey's passion for teaching, his dedication to his students, and his ability to create a culturally relevant and engaging classroom have made him an invaluable asset to the Delcastle community. His commitment to addressing mental health issues and fostering a sense of connectedness among his students make him a truly deserving Teacher of the Year.