Orr Named HISD Teacher Of The Month For Students' Reading Prowess

HOUSTON, TX — Like so many in her profession, Becky Orr teaches because of her passion for children and helping them succeed. The second-year ELA teacher at Milne Elementary School has made great strides in the reading program for her third graders, and the school district honored her this week and showered her with gifts.

Orr is raising the bar for rookie teachers, and she was recently named the Sterling McCall VIP Services February Teacher of the Month. Orr was recognized for her students’ recent reading snapshot that not only scored above average for the first time in campus history, but across the district.

"Ms. Orr’s positive outlook for her students is contagious, and her classroom is simply a joy to visit," Milne Principal Terese Pollard said. "She is always the first to practice and implement a newly learned strategy in front of her peers during PLC, and her desire to learn and grow is insatiable."

Orr’s students couldn’t contain their excitement for the inspiring teacher when she was surprised by Superintendent Richard Carranza and Board Trustee Wanda Adams. For students like Erin Cooper, it was hard to hold back the tears of joy for her favorite reading teacher.

"Ms. Orr is always pushing us to do our best and telling us that we can change the world," Student Erin Cooper said. "She works hard to make sure we’re doing better than yesterday, and I’m really happy she’s being recognized."

Orr has grown her students academically by putting in the extra hours after school, as well as at Saturday tutorials and planning sessions. For the next few Saturdays, how Orr arrives to campus will change as she enjoys a 2018 Acura RDX, courtesy of Sterling McCall Acura.

"We want to recognize teachers like Ms. Orr, who are taking it a step further with their approach in the classroom," HISD Board Trustee Wanda Adams said. "We want our teachers to know their hard work doesn’t go unnoticed and encourage them to continue to close the gaps in their subjects."

Orr felt overwhelmed by the honor, but said the focus is maintaining this work ethic and passing it along to her students.

"I feel so blessed to be honored today by the district," Orr said. "It is my passion for the children and believing that our future is brighter because of them that continues to drive me in the classroom. This shows that all the hard work is paying off."

As part of the Teacher of the Month program, HISD Superintendent Richard Carranza will surprise a teacher along with a rep from Sterling McCall VIP Services. Each month, the teacher will be presented with an award, a gift basket of promotional items, a $150 gift card and a luxury loaner vehicle.

Each of the seven HISD Area Superintendents will be responsible for selecting a teacher from their region to be honored from Nov 2017 - May 2018. Principals who would like to nominate a teacher on their campus should contact their School Support Officer of Area Superintendent directly.

Photo courtesy of Houston Independent School District