By CHRIS AADLAND, The CUJ
MISSION – For Nixyáawii Community School (NCS) teacher Niccole Harrison, becoming a teacher was “just kind of a lucky coincidence.”
Harrison, who teaches language arts at NCS, was originally pursuing a career in social services before taking an unplanned elective course on early elementary education at Eastern Oregon University that set her down a different path.
“I really liked it,” she said of her experiences during that course. “I enjoyed making lesson plans and working with kids.”
Now, in her fourth year as an educator – all spent at NCS – Harrison has been recognized as one of the top teachers in Oregon.
On Thursday afternoon, Harrison was named a Regional Teacher of the Year, one of 18 educators across the state recognized for their work as part of the annual Oregon Teacher of the Year competition.
The program – a partnership between the Oregon Department of Education and Oregon Lottery, with the state’s Education Service Districts helping facilitate the nomination, application and selection process – honors some of the state’s most innovative, dedicated and masterful pre-K through secondary public school teachers.
Harrison was selected because she is known as “being exceptionally caring and understanding” and for creating a positive learning environment that makes all her students feel like they belong at Nixyáawii, said Michelle McKenzie, Oregon Lottery account manager for the region, during an award ceremony on Thursday afternoon in the school’s gym.
The embargoed announcement released by the Oregon Lottery and InterMountain Education Service District officials was made in front of NCS staff and students and was a surprise to Harrison.
“I feel so honored, and I feel really blessed to be here with all of you,” she said after the announcement. “You give my job meaning. And not a lot of people can say that their job has meaning for them.”
Harrison was among approximately 900 teachers across the state nominated by students, colleagues, administrators, friends or family members for the award this year.
In Harrison’s case, it was some of her students who nominated her for the honor, lottery officials said.
As one of her students said in nominating Harrison, according to a Thursday press releasing announcing the award, her classroom “has always been a place of comfort for me, and she has made it a welcoming setting where I always feel heard, safe, and seen. She has done an excellent job of making her classroom a place where students want to learn. Her whole room is engaging and full of educational opportunities.”
Harrison said she knew she had been nominated by some of her students. She just didn’t know which ones and she hadn’t been told about being selected.
“It blows me away,” Harrison said in a brief interview after the award ceremony, adding that she teaches language arts because she enjoys writing and gets satisfaction from witnessing her students improve as writers. “It’s really meaningful to be nominated by my students.
The award included a $1,000 check and chance at the Oregon Teacher of the Year title and the $10,000 cash prize that comes with it.
The winner of the statewide award will be announced in October.
“Now more than ever, we need powerful educators like these,” said Director of the Oregon Department of Education Dr. Charlene Williams in the press release. “Each Regional Teacher of the Year has earned this recognition because they champion every student, uplifting and empowering them to achieve, to create, and to feel a sense of belonging not only in the classroom, but in the wider world, as well. Students and families in Oregon are fortunate to have teachers like these whose inspiring contributions create lasting impacts that ripple out into their communities and beyond.”
