Teacher of the Year Regional Finalist: Terri Bunyard

Posted Date: 08/01/2022

Mrs. Bunyard believes that building relationships and caring about the whole child is the most important aspect of teaching. Students have to know that their teachers are rooting for them in school and out of school before they can learn.

Her first year of teaching started out like any other school year but was cut short by the Covid-19 pandemic and she had to learn how to teach online instead of in a traditional classroom setting for the remainder of the school year. The abrupt ending to that school year inspired her to really change how she made connections and built relationships with her students.

She makes it a point to check in with each student every day to make sure they feel safe and important. Mrs. Bunyard doesn’t take any of the opportunities that she has been given for granted and she knows that teaching is, without a doubt, what she’s meant to do. She is motivated by seeing her students grow academically and socially and gaining confidence in themselves. Mrs. Bunyard is currently teaching reading/language arts and social studies at Rolling Hills Elementary in Amarillo.