Teacher's Aim: Honor Veterans / Clover Hill Instructor is Chesterfield County Teacher of the Year

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Teacher's Aim: Honor Veterans / Clover Hill Instructor is Chesterfield County Teacher of the Year
2006-07-12
Richmond Times - Dispatch


By HOLLY PRESTIDGE
Jim Triesler is staying busy this summer. Really busy.
Since the end of the school year, Triesler, a teacher at Chesterfield County's Clover Hill High School, has edited and documented about 130 letters from World War II veterans and interviewed a few veterans for the class he teaches.
Triesler usually has help from his students.
"I miss my 79 helpers I had during the school year," he said.
Triesler is a social-studies teacher; his class focuses on World War II and the people who lived during that time. Through genealogy records and lots of letters and photos, his students learn about the people who fought in the war and their families.
Their classroom is a mini-museum that houses photos, cards, letters and lots of other items that people have donated.
Triesler is this year's Chesterfield Teacher of the Year.
Honor 'overwhelming'
The announcement was made at the end of the school year. Triesler, who has taught in Chesterfield for 11 years, is now in the running to be named one of the state's teachers of the year.
Triesler said he has worked hard to make the class successful. "To get recognition for it was a little bit overwhelming."
Triesler's students have created a Web site, www.ittookawar.com, where they've posted WWII letters and photos.
Renee Serrao, a government teacher at Clover Hill, said Triesler "has inspired so many kids to be interested in history."
"They walk around the halls talking about [the class] ... and stop him in the halls to see what he's found recently," she said.
Triesler said his love of history started at an early age while he was living close to his grandparents and great-grandparents and asking questions about their lives.
Got idea from eBay
He got the idea for the WWII class after stumbling upon some WWII letters on eBay and incorporating them into his class. His students liked it so much he decided to make a whole class about genealogy and WWII.
Triesler said word of the class' project has extended far beyond the classroom.
On July 1, he became editor of the newsletter for the Genealogical Research Institute of Virginia, as well as a member of its board of directors.
He said his students will help edit the publication.
Triesler, who once turned down a job at the National Archives in Washington, said the recognition is nice.
But he remains focused on one thing, he said - "to honor veterans."
Contact staff writer Holly Prestidge at hprestidge@timesdispatch.com or (804) 649-6945.
ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO
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