[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 33 (Friday, February 22, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E193-E194]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING MR. BRIAN HURLEY FOR BEING SELECTED AS A FINALIST FOR THE 
             GOLDEN APPLE AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DANIEL LIPINSKI

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, February 22, 2019

  Mr. LIPINSKI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Mr. Brian 
Hurley of Reavis High School for being selected as a finalist for the 
Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching. Through his devotion to 
his students, Mr. Hurley prepares and empowers them for a better 
future--a mission deserving of this prestigious recognition.
  The Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching was created in 1985 
by Martin and Patricia Koldyke. The Koldykes felt that teachers were 
not receiving adequate recognition for the work they do in their 
classrooms and their communities. This year, 32 finalists from across 
the State of Illinois were selected from a record-setting number of 
over 550 high school teacher nominations across 71 counties. The Golden 
Apple Foundation's mission is to develop and support aspiring teachers 
to be successful in schools-of-need in Illinois.
  Mr. Hurley works hard to interact with students in and out of the 
classroom. As a teacher of science, he strives to engage with his 
students through creative research prompts, out-of-the-box thinking, 
and projects the students find engaging. He states that his strategy is 
based on constructivist theory, a concept where students build their 
own interpretation of the world through individualized learning 
experiences and hands on work. To do so, he employs his own diverse 
professional background to teach physics, drawing from his numerous 
real-life scenarios to explain the complex topics.
  As a finalist, Mr. Hurley is being recognized for his energy, 
enthusiasm, and mastery of the classroom. Madam Speaker, I ask my 
colleagues to join me in recognizing Mr. Brian Hurley. He is well 
deserving of this praise and I am proud to represent such a talented 
educator.

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