On Feb. 11, Jeff Youker received a 2006 Excellence in Teaching Award from the Alumni Awards Foundation. Youker teaches all science and history classes at El Dorado Adventist School. In addition to teaching, he sponsors the student newspaper, coaches the boys’ varsity basketball team, sponsors the class of 2008 and heads the school’s accreditation committee. How does he balance all of these duties at EAS successfully? “Mr. Youker is extremely organized,” said student Nathan Spiva.

Youker’s dedication to his students is another defining trait. Randy Norton, Youker’s colleague and a 2004 winner of the Excellence in Teaching Award, has noticed Youker’s commitment. “Mr. Youker is not afraid to work with kids one on one on his personal time,” Norton stated.

“He puts in a lot of time outside of school to really make his classes good,” added former student, Andy Bishop. “He is good at being a friend, not just a basketball coach.”

Youker’s students find steady support from their teacher. “Mr. Youker always takes the time to make sure you understand what he’s teaching, and if you don’t, he’ll help you personally,” said 10th-grader Danny Sepulveda.

Another student, Nick Norton, said, “Mr. Youker is a great teacher because when he could make things easy, he makes them challenging just to bring out our full potential.”

In order to be an excellent teacher, one must have “a love of learning and a passion for wanting to know more — which carries over regardless of your teaching style, voice, age, etc.,” said Youker. He feels that his own passion for knowledge has continued to grow as he has developed as a teacher.

Another important element of his definition of teaching excellence is being committed to students and their overall well-being. Ultimately, it is the students that keep Youker involved in teaching. Youker considers “students who are open to being taught” his greatest motivation to excel. He enjoys his relationships with the students, discovering what their needs are and working to meet those needs. His students also enjoy the rapport they share with their youthful teacher. “He really relates well to us teenagers,” said Jocelyn Lane. “We can have fun with him and still learn a lot.”

The Alumni Awards Foundation annually recognizes one administrator and five or more teachers from both elementary and secondary Adventist schools across the North American Division. Winners, who are nominated by either their peers or administrators, receive recognition at an awards banquet and receive a monetary honorarium.

Youker began his teaching career at EAS in 1998. Youker went on to obtain his Master of Science degree in science education from Montana State University in 2004, which helped him develop his teaching philosophy. Youker believes that learning is about thinking and doing. He practices this by placing students at the center of learning and making them accountable for making things happen.

Rajeev Rambob, an EAS parent, considers part of Youker’s talents to be his willingness to “just dive in with no hesitation.”

Principal Larry Ballew summed up Youker’s impact: “Jeff has the unique gift to be a friend to a student when they need friendship, a teacher when they need teaching, a coach when they need coaching, and an inspiration when they need inspiring.”