LANSING, MI (WNWN/WTVB) – A Kalamazoo County educator has been honored with an Excellence in Education award from the Michigan Lottery. Chris Furlong is a high school health teacher at Portage Northern High School.
Furlong says teachers he had in school led him to pursue a career in education. “I had several teachers in my past that did so much for me to impact my growth and I wanted to do the same for others and give back to the community. It is the students and the relationships I build with them that keeps me going.”
He added that building relationships outside of class time is one of his favorite parts of teaching. “I play Rock, Paper, Scissors with my kids before class, I like playing music before my classes start, or doing a quick pop quiz to get kids engaged. All of these things break down barriers between me as the teacher and my students and help us build a relationship and fun learning environment.”
A colleague nominated Furlong for the award. The nomination cited his willingness to go above and beyond for his students, athletes, and colleagues.
“Chris is not only a teacher, but a coach and a mentor to all the kids and fellow staff and teachers. He goes above and beyond daily to make sure those that need something, big or small, are taken care of. Chris having no children of his own, makes it a priority for every athlete and student he encounters to feel welcomed, engaged and taken care of mentally, physically, and socially.”
Furlong earned a bachelor’s degree from Olivet College and has been an educator for 15 years.
The Michigan Lottery established the Excellence in Education awards in 2014 to recognize outstanding public-school educators across the state during the school year.
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