Math teacher Bart Irwin was named Teacher of the Year (TOY) for the 2025 school year on Monday, October 21. Irwin has been a teacher overall for 20 years, but has been a Core and Honors Geometry and Advanced Placement (AP) Statistics teacher at CHS for the past eight years.
The Teacher of the Year award ceremony, which has been a CHS tradition for over 35 years, is a meeting with teachers, staff, and administration to honor and celebrate those who were elected for TOY. After the TOY is announced, the recipient’s family, who were secretly invited, come out from a back room to surprise and congratulate them.
“As an alumni, it is very important to me that this award goes to someone who truly represents what it means to be a Falcon,” math teacher Mr. Duffy said. “He (Irwin) is a role model to both students and teachers alike, and our building, and the lives of our students, are better off with him here.”
Along with TOY, a few teachers, who were runner-ups for the prestigious award, were given the esteemed title “Distinguished,” broadcasting their hard work at CHS. This year’s “Distinguished” teachers were as follows: English 10 and Media Studies teacher Mr. Bodenstein, English 11 teacher Ms. Rapay, and Digital Application and Economics teacher Mr. Ruddock.
Q: What was your reaction when you earned the title of Teacher of the Year, and how did you feel afterwards?
A: “I am both honored and humbled… This is the best professional accomplishment of my life and I will cherish it…I feel very proud that the work that I do was honored but I also think about the many, many colleagues of mine that are equally deserving of recognition. We have some incredible teachers in the school. ”
Q: How do you keep students engaged, and do you have any unique teaching styles you use in the classroom?
A: “I don’t take myself too seriously. I like to tied odd sayings, songs, dances, activities into what we are learning. I don’t do it to be a fun teacher but I do it to create hooks in the minds of students to enable them to remember key features to instruction. I also spend time every day checking in with life outside of the classroom. No one inherently is wondering about the standard deviation of a set of data. Connecting with students as people and as part of their larger experience can gain buy in when I ask them to connect with material that doesn’t always seem the most relevant to them outside of the class.”
Q: What is something unique about you that some might not know?
A: “I honestly don’t know. I talk about my life a lot with students. Many know I have a daughter that attends Cox High School but maybe that I also have a daughter who is a senior at Granby High School in Norfolk.”
Q: What interests you most about math?
A: “I love the problem solving and critical thinking required. I love data and making sense of large amounts of data. I love helping us navigate making decisions based on data and not always on how we feel. In a world where there is a lot of gray and ambiguity it’s great to be involved in problems that have correct and incorrect answers.”
Q: What advice do you have to aspiring math teachers here at CHS, as well as to incoming freshmen?
A: “Aspiring math teachers –> It is a great profession and one that they can enjoy. Keep in mind that you will have students who love and enjoy math in your classroom as well as those that have to take your classes just to graduate. Each student, regardless of their opinion about math, should be valued and encouraged in your classroom. Put students first and math second. Cox is a great High School but it can be tough to be a freshmen…Consider getting involved in something outside of just class. Join a club, sport, activity. See school as more than just something you do. Above all else be kind to one another. Each of you are facing challenges that others can’t see. Be kind and confident in who you are. Cox is lucky to have you as a student.”
