April French, who teaches media literacy and Leadership, has been named one of three High School Teachers of the Year for 2022-2023.
“This is my 20th year to teach, and I’ve been in Oklahoma for my entire career,” French said. “I still believe that the BEST is YET to COME! We have so many amazing people fighting for public education, our students, and our teachers. I absolutely love Tulsa, and I believe with ALL my heart that Union High School is the BEST high school in the nation!”
French said, “I spend the first five-to-seven days of each new school year solely getting to know my students and providing activities that allow them to become familiar with their classmates. The various ‘get-to-know-you’ games and activities are my favorite assignments of the year because I will go to any lengths to make students realize I genuinely care about their success.”
She said classroom management and the environment of the classroom are vital to student success and teacher sanity.
“When students are comfortable in the classroom, they aren’t afraid to ask questions, and they are not embarrassed to participate in class discussions because they know their classmates, and this contributes to the overall positive climate of the classroom,” French said.
French started teaching in Tahlequah in 2001, and she came to Union in 2014.
“This is my 20th year because I took a year off to stay home with my son,” she explained. (Awww, she’s a good Mom too!)
French received her bachelor’s degree in English education from Northeastern State University in Tahlequah. “I do have a few hours in library science, and I’m currently considering getting my master’s in educational leadership.”
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The District Teacher of the Year will be announced on Tuesday, February 21. Being named Teacher of the Year is one of the highest honors a teacher can receive at Union.
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