Linda Hasler-Reid
Oklahoma Teacher of the Year
Muskogee 7th & 8th Grade Center, Muskogee
Grade 7-8, Spanish

My teaching philosophy
I believe that if our students know we care about them on both a personal and professional level, they are much more likely to be receptive to what we have to teach. I further believe that we, as teachers, must be passionate and enthusiastic about what we teach. If we are not, how can we expect our students to be excited about learning?

My philosophy in action
I show a personal interest in my students, both inside and outside of the classroom, making sure that they know that I am interested in what is going on in their lives. I make time to listen when they need or want to speak to me, even if I am very busy. I treat all my students equitably, and if I make a mistake, I am quick to apologize to my students, just as I would have them do for one another.

To remain passionate about what I teach, I look “outside the box” and participate in activities such as a four-week National Endowment for the Humanities “Teacher Archaeology Camp” and a Fund for Teachers’ three week immersion language course in Costa Rica. Each of these experiences invigorates my teaching and deepens my knowledge of my subject area, which directly benefits my students.

My greatest teaching accomplishment
My greatest accomplishments are my impact on my students each and every day in my classroom. I am also very proud of my attainment of National Board Certification in World Languages in 2003 and of being named 2007 Oklahoma State Teacher of the Year.

The most critical issues facing educators today
Today’s educators must learn to teach and reach an increasingly diverse student population. We must learn to view diversity as an asset, not a stumbling block, and find ways to integrate students of many different ethnic and religious groups, as well as those who do not yet speak English, and we must learn to do so without sacrificing rigor in our curriculum.

We must also keep up with technology that was not in existence when many of us were training to be educators. Today’s students are very tech-savvy and enjoy text messaging, instant messaging, the internet, and video games. We must be capable of using these types of tools to reach them.

Ways to resolve these issues
Teachers must begin to view diversity as an asset. We must be sensitive to the needs of students of different cultures and religions and learn to weave some of this into our teaching so that we enable our students to possess this same awareness and sensitivity.

As for technology, teachers must seek and pursue training that allows us to reach today’s students in their preferred manner of learning, which is frequently through technology. SMART Board interactive whiteboards, the Internet, student laptops, e-mail, teacher websites, electronic portfolios – all of these are teaching tools and methods with which today’s teachers should be familiar.

One thought to inspire teachers to succeed
Remember that each of our students is someone’s child, and each of their parents wants the same thing that we, if we are parents, also want – they want teachers who will love, encourage, and care for their children in the same way they would do.

Remember that we impact students each and every day, and it is completely up to us whether that influence is positive or negative.

One lesson every student should learn
Every student should learn that good character and integrity is to be valued, even above a 4.0 grade point average.

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