Tracy Sprague, a West High English teacher, recently won the “National High School Teacher of Excellence Award.” The award is given out by the NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) to teachers who show the initiative and go above and beyond for both the school and students.

   Mrs. Sprague has been teaching at West High for the past decade and is well liked among both the students and the faculty body. According to Scott McGraw (11), a student who does not have Mrs. Sprague, “A lot of my friends tell me about what a great teacher she is. It’s not surprising she won this award for National High School Teacher of Excellence Award.” Even outside of class, students who do not have Mrs. Sprague know of what a fantastic teacher she is.

   Students that have Mrs. Sprague such as Nathan Fernandez (11) said, “This year I am taking Mrs. Sprague’s class. She’s a great teacher, [who teaches] me how to write stronger essays and to rhetorically analyze different kinds of literature. I am happy to have her this year!” Many West High students feel that she deserves the award because of her usage of personal anecdotes, her understanding of other students, and her ability to prepare the students for the AP English test.

   Mrs. Sprague is a role model for others to follow. US History and iLead teacher, Mr. Belcher, commented, “I am extremely happy for Mrs. Sprague. She is our leader in our transition to Common Core State Standard. It exemplifies the level of hard work she’s put into West High.”

   Many students and faculty members are pleased that Mrs. Sprague has won this award. Mrs. Sprague has gone beyond the expectations of the average teacher and she continues to show the Warrior spirit by enriching all her students to become the best they can be.