Harrison High School’s Tammye Stahler, a math instructor, is the 2015 Arkansas Rural Teacher of the Year. The award is sponsored by the Arkansas Rural Education Association and the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas.
Stahler, who has taught for more than 25 years, said, “Our children are unique individuals and each bring a different perspective to the learning environment. The learning environment should be non-threatening, safe and conducive to learning.”
Her goal as a teacher is to ensure that students leave her classroom academically improved and focused on being productive citizens. “I believe as a teacher, I am responsible for giving them a great education and instilling values that will be important to their success in the community,” she said. “If you show students you care, they will strive to meet and exceed the expectations you set for them.”
Stahler has taught exclusively at rural schools, including Mena Public Schools, Rich Mountain Community College, Harrison High School and North Arkansas Community College. She holds an Associate of General Studies degree from Rich Mountain Community College, a Bachelor of Science degree in education from Henderson State University, and a Master of Arts in education from Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo.
“The choice of becoming a mathematics teacher has been a great endeavor to influence my own students to become educators and strive to be life-long learners,” she said. Stahler assisted in the development of geometry and math mastery material for Arkansas schools that is used to help identify specific areas in which students are not proficient and then address the deficiencies.
A recipient of the Mathematical Association of America’s Outstanding Teacher in 2015, she believes the nurturing from the rural school environment and its community allows students to have a higher confidence in themselves and the initiative to give back to others and their communities.
The Rural Teacher of the Year Award winner is selected based on the quality and depth of answers to questions in the following categories: professional biography, educational history, professional development, community involvement, teaching philosophy, education issues and the teaching profession.
The Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas comprise 17 electric distribution cooperatives; Arkansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. (AECI), a Little Rock-based cooperative that provides services to the distribution cooperatives; and Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp. (AECC), a generation and transmission cooperative. The distribution cooperatives provide electricity to approximately 500,000 homes, farms and businesses in Arkansas and surrounding states.
For additional information, contact:
Rob Roedel, Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas, 501.570.2296 or rob.roedel@aeci.com
