Mariner Middle’s Corbin Bean named Cape teacher of the year

Mariner Middle's Corbin Bean took honors as the top teacher for Cape Henlopen School District during a ceremony May 10.

Bean will represent Cape Henlopen School District for the state teacher of the year ceremony held in the fall. He will compete against 20 other teachers of the year from school districts across the state.

Bean teaches seventh-grade science and social studies, and he enjoys teaching with spontaneity, he said.

Bean said he treats every day like a new adventure into what he is teaching, and he knows that if his students view their learning in the same manner, then he can feel confident his students are reaching deep levels of understanding.

In his written submission for Cape teacher of the year, Bean wrote that his goal is to make learning fun for students.

"This past October, a student stopped me during a lesson in mid-sentence and said, 'Mr. Bean, you're really into all this stuff aren't you?' I laughed and asked if that was a good thing or a bad thing, and the student replied that they meant no offense, but my excitement about what we were learning made my class a lot more fun to be in," Bean said.

Mariner Principal Fred Best said Bean's energy is evident in his teaching, and Bean was a great choice for teacher of the year.

"This award is well deserved for Corbin, he always goes the extra mile for the students," Best said.

Upon hearing he won the award, district spokeswoman Alyssa Titus said Bean was humble. He gave credit to his wife for his achievement, she said.

"She makes me want to be better every day," Bean said.