Veteran English teacher, Dr. Paula Vickers was recently named WSHS Teacher of the Year. She has taught English, Reading, Journalism and Newspaper for a total of 33 years. She also works with new teachers to help them acclimate to the profession.

Dr. Vickers has been nominated for Teacher of the Year several times in previous years, so winning was a surprise. She said, “When Mr. Gaffney walked into my classroom, my heart stopped. Then my boyfriend and best friend walked in and I thought, ‘This is it. This is really happening.’ It was a great moment. I will say that it is also very humbling. There are so many great teachers at WSHS and this award really could go to so many other people. Everybody at this school makes a unique and significant contribution.”

Like many educators, Dr. Vickers felt inspired to become a teacher from childhood. She shared, “I have always wanted to be a teacher. As a child, I used to put all of my dolls in a row and teach them. My dad bought me a chalkboard and hung it in my room so that I could teach in my own classroom. He even saved some of my attendance and grade sheets that I had made for my class. I still have them today. Teaching is a part of who I am and working with kids brings joy to my life. Every morning I am happy to come to work. I won’t say that I stay happy every day. Teaching can be challenging, but even after all of these years, I can’t think of anything I’d rather be doing. I love kids and I feel like I am making a difference.”

When asked to share her advice to our students, Dr. Vickers said, “My advice to students would be this. Keep moving forward. There will be setbacks in life. Find ways to react positively. When I fail at something, I just work even harder. You can do just about anything that you set your mind to doing but it takes work. That’s what makes any victory worthwhile.”

Like all of our talented teachers at WSHS, Dr. Vickers truly enjoys teaching and working with her students so that they can reach their full potential.