Driven by a desire to help students succeed, Response To Intervention (RTI) math teacher Jennifer Boren has been recognized for her capability to earn the trust of students and motivate them to achieve their goals.

After being named 2015 Teacher of the Year for Canyon High School and Secondary Teacher of the Year for Canyon ISD, Boren will compete for Region 16 Secondary Teacher of the Year this summer.

“I will be competing against the other secondary teachers of the year from each district in the upper panhandle,” Boren said.  “This application process is much more detailed and involves essays about our teaching philosophies, recommendation letters and more interviews.”

Boren said the Region 16 committee is looking for a secondary teacher who inspires their students to perform at a high level, helps students when they are unmotivated, has fresh ideas for parent involvement and teaches valuable material in addition to the state-issued curriculum.

“It is important to get your kids ready for the standardized tests while also preparing them for life skills,” Boren said. “I work with students who have not been successful in math for a while, or have gaps in their learning for various reasons, including absences due to health and family situations.”

Boren said she considers keeping mutual respect and trust with her students very important in their success.

“The secret to motivating my students to succeed is to earn their trust,” Boren said.  “They need to feel like they can trust me to help them when times are good and when times are bad.  I think that’s a huge battle.  Everyday with me is a new start and that’s very inspiring to a lot of my students.  Once my students know I believe in them and care for them, they perform at a very high level.”

Principal Tim Gilliland said Mrs. Boren is very deserving of Canyon ISD Teacher of the Year because of her motivation to not only teach her students, but to be a mentor to them as well.

“She does such a great job of meeting the needs of each student who comes into her class,” Gilliland said.  “Somehow she can have a room full of kids and still do a great job providing one-on-one tutoring and help for them.”

Though Mrs. Boren has taught elementary school, AP classes and everywhere in between, she says teaching RTI math has proved most rewarding.

“I work with kids who may not be on track to graduate, so I’m always really proud of them when they walk across the stage,” Boren said.  “The biggest blessings and rewards are when I work with students who haven’t been successful in years, and then they’re successful.  I love working with kids who need someone to believe in them, and I take great reward from that.”