Seated in a gray, metal desk alongside students, English IV AP and English IV Dual Credit teacher Jamie Crosswhite quietly observes the energetic, student led discussion, occasionally sipping her coffee or jotting notes. From time to time, she will casually mention her perspective on the novel or poem in the students’ hands, enlightening the class to a meaning of the work they had never considered before and prompting students with her mantra:

“Think deep thoughts.”

In February, Crosswhite was named the 2014 Teacher of the Year for Canyon High School. Every year, faculty members nominate exemplary teachers on the campus and vote in February for the winner. Crosswhite will be a contestant at the district level Teacher of the Year award.

“Being a teacher means that I have fun every day,” Crosswhite said.  “Even on a day to day basis, I’m looking for different ideas I can incorporate, and I’m always connecting real world findings to the classroom. I’ll see visuals with my family or in news articles, and I’ll research nerdy topics for fun. I can’t seem to escape it, even when I want to.”

Crosswhite said she brings honesty to the classroom, and continually tries to humble herself by realizing she doesn’t know everything and admitting when she doesn’t.

“Every year, I like to bring in different pieces of literature because I feel  if you become stale, then you become bored and  your students are bored,” Crosswhite said.  “It’s good to mix it up.”

Crosswhite said she was inspired to teach English from her junior American Studies and senior AP English teacher.

“I always loved English, but she made me realize, ‘This is where your strength lies,’” Crosswhite said. “I debated psychology, even though I started out as an English major. Then I realized, no, psychology is much too depressing. I am still able to deal with the interesting aspects of humanity, understanding and thought process with literature, but not with the terribly sad aspects that come with psychology.”

Crosswhite said she developed her saying, “Think deep thoughts,” during her post-Colonial literature class, which studies literature from those who have been formerly oppressed.

“My professor said something that started me thinking, ‘Why are we privileged to be born here, where we can sit comfortably in an air conditioned room and are allowed to think deeply when there are people who struggle to even carry on day-to-day necessities of life?’” Crosswhite said. “I started to consider education, my role as a teacher and the idea it is a privilege that we are comfortably allowed to think deep thoughts while other people are struggling. We would be foolish not to utilize this undeserved privilege.”