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Brian Collier is the Teacher of the Year from Westover High School.  He says it’s an incredible honor to receive from his fellow teachers and the administration. Students in his classes didn’t seem surprised he won stating that he’s a special teacher and takes the time to make Advanced Placement U.S. & World History classes fun and easy to grasp. 

Collier says his favorite part of teaching is the interaction.  “I love the give and take conversation that you can have with students about history and about philosophies and concepts and theories.  That is where learning takes place” says Collier.

His delightful obsession with history leads him to share his massive book collection with students so they can research various topics.  Oscar Spruill says Collier is one of the most dedicated teachers he’s ever had.  “He’s committed to us and it just means a lot to me because it shows I can put my faith into teachers that are willing to help you” says Spruill.

The learning goes beyond the classroom with a website Collier created for students. The website is full of resources and Collier adds extra’s in the form of videos, articles, and podcasts.  He says the online interaction between himself with the students and the students with each other is where more learning comes into play. 

Collier says it’s his responsibility to widen the way his students approach not only learning - but history in itself.  “When they start to see that the text book is not the end of the story, that they can find research and find ways to disprove previously conceived notions or ideas then that makes them active learners” says Collier.

AP 10^th grade student Delaney Burnett says it’s his passion that makes learning so fun.  “Him wanting it makes us kind of want it.  You can see everybody was excited even though all of them do not like history...they were all hyped up!  He's really into it.  It’s almost like he's acting it out and it’s fun to watch, so it’s fun to learn” says Burnett.

Collier’s students have a 92% passing rate on standardized testing and he’s also Westover’s representative for the Professional Association for Georgia Educators.  To visit Brian Collier’s website click here