Senator Sally Turner presented Mr. David Elder with the 2024 Outstanding Teacher of the 44th District with family members, colleagues, friends and students present. The nomination was made by 2024 Bement HS grad Quinn Flavin. Mr. Elder was selected out of several deserving educators based on Quinn’s nomination below:
Mr. Elder has the ability to make history interesting for every student, even if they come into his class thinking that it’s a boring subject. He is always finding ways for people to get involved not only in his classroom but also in the community. He is a big advocate for making the world a better place by being part of the solution, not part of the problem. He has many sayings like that one that his students will definitely remember him for even long after they graduate. He is also a big advocate for using your voice and doing your civic duty by getting out and voting when elections come around. As soon as his students turn 18 he is always trying to get them to register to vote. Mr. Elder is also the Bement High School LifeSavers sponsor. LifeSavers is a peer help and suicide prevention group. It is meant for students to be able to go to other students in this organization for help with any problems or issues they may be facing. I am a member of this group and I have been able to confide in Mr. Elder about things that I have struggled with throughout high school and he has not only stood up for me, but helped me learn how to stand up for myself. Mr. Elder is also very personable. He finds ways to relate to all kinds of different people because he keeps up with so many different things happening in the world around us including politics, sports, pop culture, and more. I am a big sports fan and I often find myself having very in depth conversations with him about things like baseball and football. Mr. Elder also lets us into his personal life a bit by showing us pictures of his precious dog Stella and telling us about his and his wife’s journey to creating a completely clean and sustainable farm where they grow all different types of fruits and vegetables. Most everyone in the community knows Mr. Elder for all different reasons including his kindness, generosity, humor, knowledge, and ability to help others, among many other qualities. I would like to thank you for considering this very deserving teacher for this honor.
Congratulations, Mr. Elder!