Barbara Jeweler, director of James Hubert Blake High School's award-winning TV Production Program, internship coordinator, and instructor for media arts, was named one of eight finalists for the 2004 Maryland Teacher of the Year.

The finalists were selected from among 24 local jurisdiction winners by a panel of educators, public officials, parents, and private sector representatives. Criteria included teaching philosophy, community involvement, knowledge of general education issues and trends, suggestions for improving the teaching profession, and colleague recommendations.

Finalists will be interviewed by the judges prior to the selection of the Maryland Teacher of the Year. Announcement of the winner will be made at a dinner and reception at Martin’s West on October 10, 2003.

Jeweler began her teaching career at Wheaton High School in 1970 following her graduation from the University of Maryland. (She later received her master’s in speech and dramatic art, media communications, from the University of Maryland in 1978.) At Wheaton, she taught speech and drama. Jeweler moved to Montgomery County Public Schools’ (MCPS) now-closed Peary High School in 1977, where she taught drama, speech, and media production and was forensics coach until 1981.

She left the school system in 1982 to begin Barbara Jeweler Communicationscreating video training (teaching) materials and distance learning presentations for government and industry, which she continues todaybut returned in 1999 to Neelsville Middle School, where she taught for a year before moving to Blake High School.

Students in Jeweler's television production program have received national awards from professional video competitions such as the Telly, Videographer and Communicator Awards, and from MCPS media competitions. As an adjunct to her teaching, Jeweler also serves as executive producer of Eubie TV, the student-managed closed-circuit station that broadcasts daily to the school community. In addition, she provides video services for other MCPS schools and service groups. Among many other accomplishments, she sponsored the Black Heritage Stamp Project -- honored by the U.S. Postmaster General -- creating a video highlighting the U.S. Postal Service Black Heritage Stamp series on notable African Americans.

In the area of staff development leadership, she serves as a consultant to Blake teachers in developing video projects and creating student internships; works with digital arts teachers to create pilot curriculum for New Media arts; develops Media Arts curriculum; and serves as a member of the Signature Committee.

The Maryland Teacher of the Year will be involved in speaking engagements and other educational forums throughout the coming year and is eligible to compete for National Teacher of the Year.