To those who know him, Eric Charles Stemle is the quintessential teacher. His career in the classroom has been characterized by an enduring passion for the English language and the learning and development of young people. Mr. Stemle is an English teacher at Green River High School in Green River, Wyoming.
Committed and always energized about teaching, Mr. Stemle has turned his classrooms in centers of discourse, learning and language. In his distinguished career, he has taught at the middle school and high school levels, as well as advanced students and those at needing remedial instruction. Through it all, he has always expected high achievement from his students, inspired them with his passion for the written word and respect for their views, ideas and insights. He began his teaching career as a freshman composition instructor at Navajo Community College in Tsaile, Arizona, in 1976. From 1977 to 1981, he taught language arts and American literature at Pennfield High School in Battle Creek, Michigan. In 1981, he and his wife, Teresa, moved to Wyoming, where they have taught ever since. His honors are many. He was honored as Teacher of the Year twice at Lincoln Middle School and in 1992 was selected as Green River High School’s Teacher of the Year. Students at Green River have selected him Favorite Male Teacher six times. In 2003, Mr. Stemle was honored as Wyoming Teacher of the Year. In addition, the NEA Foundation selected him as the Wyoming honoree of its Award for Teaching Excellence.
Mr. Stemle received his bachelor’s degree in English with teacher certification from MSU in 1976. He also has a master’s degree in English (1981) from MSU.