Suzanne Butler
It is with great enthusiasm and deep gratitude that I recommend Suzanne Butler for inclusion in the Branford Teachers’ Hall of Fame. As a colleague of Sue I had the pleasure of working with her for over 25 years. In our early years Sue was not only a colleague but a mentor as well. When I came on board she generously shared lesson plans, even going as far as welcoming me in to observe her classroom-an invaluable gift to me as a new teacher. Throughout the years I learned from Sue that a good teacher is not the teacher with the best lesson plans, but the teacher who guides students forward into using what they learn in the classroom into real life. When Sue’s classroom day was finished that same classroom would be transformed into a school newspaper and yearbook office. Grammar learned, writing skills honed all turned real in The Hornet and The Milestone. In the mid eighties before word processing and computers were ubiquitous, Sue helped establish the first writing lab at Branford High School. Really one of the first in the state. How many of us remember those gigantic AppleIIGS computers that could even print in color! I could go on and on about Sue’s talents and impact on her students but I don’t need to, just ask any student who ever had Sue Butler and they will tell you.
Sue Butler was an English teacher at Branford High specializing in Yearbook Production. This course focused on all aspects of the publishing process, including marketing and advertising. Sue took pride in creating a state of the art yearbook. She taught students how to be reporters and how to write body copy that would be relevant many years after graduation. She inspired her editors to create unique themes and cover designs. She worked tirelessly to fund raise, even selling Italian Ice at the Branford Festival, in order to eventually move to a book printed entirely in color.
What I recall most from my years working with Sue is that she never lost her cool; she remained upbeat and positive, and she always made time for her colleagues. I had the unique opportunity to observe Sue for several months in order to learn the ropes before taking over the yearbook. Sue was amazing at utilizing predictable routines. She was a master at putting students in leadership positions and motivating them in positive ways to meet deadlines and take pride in a job well done.
Sue made sure the yearbook told a story. She is so deserving of her story being told and her legacy living on. I recommend wholeheartedly that Sue Butler be inducted into The Branford Education Hall of Fame
What I recall most from my years working with Sue is that she never lost her cool; she remained upbeat and positive, and she always made time for her colleagues. I had the unique opportunity to observe Sue for several months in order to learn the ropes before taking over the yearbook. Sue was amazing at utilizing predictable routines. She was a master at putting students in leadership positions and motivating them in positive ways to meet deadlines and take pride in a job well done.
Sue made sure the yearbook told a story. She is so deserving of her story being told and her legacy living on. I recommend wholeheartedly that Sue Butler be inducted into The Branford Education Hall of Fame