Sisters teacher finalist for award

Samra Spear, a language arts teacher at Sisters High School, has been named as a finalist for OnPoint Community Credit Union's Prize for Excellence in Education contest.

That puts Spear in line for the Educator of the Year award. That winner will have her mortgage paid for one year and her school will receive $5,000 for resources and supplies. One finalist will be named the Community Choice winner as voted on by the community. The public is invited to vote for its favorite teacher by visiting http://www.onpointprize.com. Voting will be open to the public until April 30.

The second annual contest honors local teachers that work to inspire enthusiasm and creativity in the classroom and have made an impact on students and their families. The 10 teachers were chosen from nearly 150 qualified nominees by the OnPoint Prize Selection Committee.

Spear told The Nugget that, "The process itself has been such a great reflective opportunity for me."

The 19-year veteran of Sisters schools said participation in the contest has validated her sense of mission. She strives to push her students to use critical thinking skills, to look at issues from more than one perspective. Most of all, she seeks to spark a lifelong love of learning and a passion for reading and writing.

To achieve these goals, Spear uses an interdisciplinary approach - and , most importantly, transmits her own passion for the use of language to her students.

Those students and their parents will testify to her success.

One of Spear's former students, artist Laura Campbell, wrote: "While in high school, I remember reading a poster that was designed as a reality-check for those of us living in first-world countries. The final line read something like: 'If you can read this message, you are more fortunate than the 3 billion people in the world who cannot read at all.'

"Samra Spear was the first person to make me understand exactly what that actually meant... I never actually fully understood the value of words, the gift of reading and writing - the art of language - until I took a course from Mrs. Spear."

Like school districts across the nation, Sisters is faced with stark choices as financial resources dwindle. Yet Spear remains encouraged that teachers in Sisters continue to try to improve the way they deliver education to their students.

"I look around my school and I think I'm not exceptional," she said. "I'm doing what other people are doing."

On National Teachers' Day, Tuesday, May 3, OnPoint will announce the Educator of the Year. Three finalists will also be selected and win $1,500 each and $1,500 for their respective school. Five semi-finalists will be given $250 each for their respective school.

Spear has her eye on the big prize, but, regardless of the outcome, the contest has offered her a fresh perspective on her work - and her self-evaluation is gratifying:

"I'm doing some good things," she said. "I'm touching some lives."