Rural science teacher is national Teacher of the Year

AP photo by Susan Walsh

A teacher at a rural high school near Yakima, Wash., was honored as national Teacher of the Year today "in a White House ceremony where President Obama praised him for his efforts to show students that they are smart enough to do anything," reports the Yakima Herald-Republic.

Jeff Charbonneau, 35, is a science and technology teacher at the high school in Zillah, a small town about 15 miles southeast of Yakima. "Charbonneau says success begins with building relationships with students, which in turn helps build confidence that they can do the work," the Herald-Republic said in an editorial.