Photo by TERRI WATTS

Amy Smith celebrates her Outstanding Classroom Teacher award with her family.

Burns High School (BHS) teacher Amy Smith received the 2023 Oregon Science Teachers Association (OSTA) Outstanding Classroom Teacher award for the Greater Oregon Region in the BHS gymnasium on Oct. 3.

The award is to recognize and honor the work of outstanding classroom teachers from OSTA’s seven regions around Oregon. OSTA awards four in each region in the categories of Early Career (1-3 years of classroom experience), Elementary, Middle, and High School.

Awardees are selected based on their ability to motivate student achievement and excitement in science, community and administrative support, ability to support and mentor new and pre-service teachers, and overall contributions to the profession.

Smith is said to have an unmatched ability to take the very complicated concepts of biology and present them in a format that students of all learning abilities, cultures, and identities can understand. Additionally, Smith is an integral part of a grant-writing team and the Science Club. Her hands-on, “real-life” approach to teaching fosters a love of science among her students. Her teaching style also builds connections and forms positive relationships with students. If you are searching for a teacher who truly goes beyond for her students and community, look no further than Amy Smith.