A few students raised their hands and spoke at first.
As the 15-minute interview session trickled on, more and more boys and girls chipped in to talk about their Bothell High teacher, Andy Gault.
“He’s got a great attitude. He wants every student to succeed,” said senior Michaelle Webster.
Added senior Cody Tracy: “He makes all of us feel like a family.”
Before long, nearly everybody in the packed classroom wanted to have their say about what made their American Sign Language (ASL) instructor worthy of being named Teacher of the Year in the Evening Magazine Best of Western Washington 2011 contest. A reporter and cameraman surprised Gault in his classroom with the announcement last month, and the segment later aired on KING 5. Students, friends and family members voted for Gault, launching him into first place.
On Monday morning in Room 115, while Gault worked on his laptop in the hallway, the third-year ASL students took over the classroom for a while.
Senior Ruby Reagan described a recent assignment and how Gault led the students to success.
“We had to sign and talk at the same time — it’s more difficult than you think,” she said. “And we said, ‘Oh no, we’re not cool enough, we’re not sure how to do it.’ And he said, ‘You can do it — it’s OK.'”
Another student jumped on Reagan’s comment and noted that everything turned out fine.
“He always tries to push us to perform our hardest. And then you realize you can do it,” added senior Kayla Kobelin.
Gault is in his eighth year teaching at Bothell High after receiving master’s and bachelor’s degrees (in communication/linguistics) from the University of Washington. He graduated from Woodinville High before that, so he knows the Northshore School District well.
The instructor said he’s proud to be a part of the local school district, adding that everyone from the superintendent to the Bothell administration are supportive of their teachers.
“I’m happy, and it’s humbling to be here. It’s teamwork — I cannot do this job without them,” Gault said.
Gault’s students feel like he’s one of them, an energetic person who’s focused on the job at hand and feels that giving 100 percent is not a goal — it’s a necessity.
He craves his Starbucks coffee to get rolling in the morning, laughed one student. He’s interested in what the students did over the weekend and is along the ride with them during class time and after school when he’s coaching cheerleading at both Bothell High and the UW.
“He participates in spirit days and he dyed his hair blue for an assembly,” said senior cheerleader Abby Leonard. “At cheer practice, he runs the 2.2 or the mile with us, so it’s cool that he’s actually doing it, too.”
Away from the Bothell campus, he choreographs the dancing for the New Year’s Day parade in London, England, he’s involved with the National Cheerleading Association and is an interpreter in the Seattle area for the Deaf Performing Arts.
As the kids filed out of class, Gault looked the part of both student and teacher with his enthusiasm and youthful looks.
“I always tell my students, ‘I’m old enough to do my job and young enough to enjoy it,'” he said with a smile.
