CANYON, TEXAS -- It's always an honor to be recognized by your co-workers.
That's what a teacher in Canyon Independent School District got when he was named the Texas Alternative Teacher of the Year this month.
Midway Alternative High School Teacher Rick Reyher got the award at the Texas Association of Alternative Educators State Conference.
Pronews 7 is featuring Reyher in this week's Region 16 Spotlight Education report.
Rick Reyher has been in education for six years, most of it in the alternative area. He says he's loved it.
"Our challenges are maybe a little bit more unique. Classroom teachers are going to have 100 to 150 students, we have a more select group and as a result we get to spend more time with that select group," said Rick Reyher.
A group that faces life's hardships way too early, fighting homelessness, teenage motherhood, terminal illness, and being orphaned at an early age.
Add to that trying to earn your high school diploma, and you can imagine, these students need extra care, encouragement and advice.
They say, that's exactly what Mr. Reyher gives them.
"He has given me the best advice anybody could give me," said Jordan Messer, students.
"He's like my grandpa, you know he's just so loveable and we can go to him for anything, we can talk to him about anything, he was trying to help me get a job," said Lakila Barrietos, students.
In addition to teaching in the elementary and secondary discipline alternative education program, and that same program at Midway, Reyher also teaches at the Youth Center of the High Plains and drives a school bus for the district.
"Needless to say it was not a boring year, it was a very active year and quite frankly with the team that we have out here we were able to fill a lot of holes," said Reyher.
He's also been named the Texas Association for Pupil Transportation Regular Education Driver of the Year, and he's been nominated by his campus for the Canyon ISD Secondary Teacher of the Year.
