Bloomer named JMG Teacher of the year

Dodson teacher Tianna Bloomer was recently recognized as the Jobs for Montana Graduates Teacher of the Year, an award she didn't know she was up for, but one she happily accepts.

"I had no idea, and I don't know the process or who nominated me," Bloomer admits. "But it is a great honor."

The focus of the class, which is targeted for juniors but can be taken by all upperclassmen, assist students to stay in school, graduate and successfully transition from school into employment, post-secondary education, apprenticeship, or the military. Today, Jobs for Montana Graduates is a program funded by the Montana Department of Labor and Industry to support students to connect with their communities by providing them employability skills, leadership development, social and civic responsibility, and career awareness, according to the group's website.

Bloomer has been a member of the Jobs for Montana Graduates (JMG) since 2012 and the program has been taught at Dodson High School for over 20 years. Bloomer, a graduate of Libby High School who earned her teaching degree from University of Montana-Western, is in her fifth year of teaching at Dodson.

"I love this school," said Bloomer, "and I absolutely adore my students."

Many Dodson students have completed the JMG class under Bloomer, including Raven Bear – who is currently attending college while holding a fulltime job – and 2015 graduates Wozek Chandler and Jenessa Henry.

"She's taught me so much," said Henry, who has applied to college in Billings and currently works at a grocery store there fulltime. "She gave us all the info we needed on what life would be like after high school, she even shared some of her stories with us. Interviews were a topic that we often would talk about in class. She taught me how to properly dress and act while being in a job interview. I can honestly say that I got my job all because of her. She helped me and my other classmates prepare for that. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't know what to expect in a job interview."

Gary Weitz, Dodson School Superintendent in his first year in Phillips County, said he noticed Bloomer's care and devotion to the students she teaches straightaway.

"During my 30 years of working in education I have worked with many great people in the profession," he said. "The thing that impresses me most about Tianna Bloomer as a teacher and as a person is her sincere care and compassion for the students she supervises. If she is in charge of the program, you can have the confidence that it will be run with the success and well-being of the student considered first and foremost."

For being named JMG Teacher of the Year, Bloomer was awarded an all-paid trip to New Orleans, La., but by the time she learned of the trip she had already committed to a summer job and wasn't able to attend.

"This happened last July and when they told me the dates of the trip I had to decline," said Bloomer. "Instead, I was a summer janitor in Noxon which is close to home so it all worked out."

Bloomer said that the students who take the class all enjoy it and with the information provided for the class is a cinch to teach, as long as the instructor is passionate about the task at hand.

"It's all about how you approach it and how you connect with the kids," she said. "In the class, we do a lot of activities and community service. It includes a lot of life skills and how to treat people."