Kimberly Takahashi, a teacher at Bartlesville High School, has been named a Bartlesville Public School District Teacher of the Month by Arvest Bank and Patriot Auto Group.
In recognition of this honor, Ms. Kimberly Takahashi was given a plaque and a $300 check by Arvest Bank and Patriot Auto Group.
Ms. Takahashi has twenty one years of teaching experience. This year, she teaches special education at Bartlesville High School. She has previously been an Elementary Library Media Specialist and has taught middle school English and Science.
As an Elementary Library Media Specialist, Takahashi aimed to teach her students to become lifelong learners through a love of reading in the library. She used technology in some form in every library visit, knowing that exposure at a young age is crucial in making students proficient in technology. She also installed a program called "Lock In Night." If a student reads and passes all the tests for the books from the Sequoyah list for the year, they are invited to participate in fun and games. With these activities and external guidance, she hoped to instill the importance of a good education through reading.
“If we don’t prioritize educating our children, we will never make a difference in the future,” said Takahashi. “In my teaching career, if I can help one child to make an informed choice or teach them something they will use in their lifetime, I have made a difference.”
Takahashi has previously been a site Instructional Technology Assistant at Wilson Elementary and a Senior Fellow professional development specialist for Oklahoma A+ Schools. With five children herself, she has coached basketball through the YMCA, assistant coach for softball on a traveling team, and spent many hours volunteering with Children’s Musical Theatre.
Bartlesville Public Schools is proud to join Arvest Bank and Patriot Auto Group in honoring Kimberly Takahashi as the Bartlesville Teacher of the Month.