Teacher Falls Short in Award Race

— Linda Odle didn’t win the state’s Teacher of the Year award this year, but her Hunt Elementary colleagues clearly believe she deserved it.

“I’ve taught for over 30 years, and I’ve never taught with anyone who was as good as Linda,” said Jean Huffman who, like Odle, teaches fifth grade at Hunt.

At A Glance

Teacher Of The Year Award

The Arkansas Teacher of the Year award has been handed out every year since 1962. The following are those winners who came from Northwest Arkansas:

1987: Muriel Chism, Grace Hill Elementary, Rogers

1993: Rosemary Faucette, Woodland Junior High, Fayetteville

1998: Charles Rossetti, Springdale High, Springdale

2007: Justin Minkel, Jones Elementary, Springdale

Source: Arkansas Department of Education

Odle was one of four finalists named last month for this year’s Arkansas Teacher of the Year award. Alexia Weimer, a kindergarten teacher in Marion, was named the winner Monday.

State law provides for the Teacher of the Year recipient to take a year of paid administrative leave to serve in an advisory position as a nonvoting member of the state Board of Education and for professional development purposes. Weimer also will receive $15,000 from the Walton Family Foundation.

Odle said she was surprised when she learned she was a finalist.

“The thing that meant the most to me is that the people who know me, my name came into their head when they voted” on whom to nominate for the award, Odle said.

To become a finalist, Odle had to fill out a lengthy application. Then officials from the Department of Education came to her school, interviewed her and observed her classroom for 10 minutes.

Hunt Principal Michelle Doshier described Odle as an “amazing” teacher.

“Her classroom is very family-like. The kids feel free to take risks in that classroom,” Doshier said. “The kids are always moving and engaged. She has a great rapport with them.”

She added Odle is constantly learning new teaching techniques and implementing them in the classroom.

“She determines what works,” Doshier said. “She keeps herself on track by throwing out what doesn’t work and revamping as she goes.”

Odle prides herself on her work ethic. Clif Ruddick, another fifth-grade teacher at Hunt, said Odle regularly works 11-hour days.

“She sets very high standards for her students,” Ruddick said. “Her students go on to middle school probably the most prepared students in Arkansas.”

Odle has taught for 23 years. She’s in her eighth year at Hunt; she previously taught four years at Westwood Elementary. She spent the first three years of her career teaching in inner-city Los Angeles. Her teaching experience extends overseas. She spent three weeks during the summer of 2011 teaching in Rwanda as part of a program called AfricaReads. She plans to do the same thing next summer.

Teaching in Rwanda is challenging because the schools have little to no resources; even paper is unavailable. However, Odle said, that doesn’t diminish the students’ eagerness to learn, a realization that has stayed with her.

“You can teach no matter what your situation, and every kid wants to learn,” Odle said.

REFER: Winner Of Teacher Of Year Award, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Page 1B

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