Substitute Teacher Honored
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Substitute Teacher Honored
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May 9, 2007
Wednesday, May 9, 2007 is
Substitute Teacher of the Year: 2007 
Walter Ricks, Oregon Substitute Teacher of the Year: 2007 A Lincoln and Tillamook County substitute teacher whose students call him “Abuelito” (Little Grandfather) has been selected as OSTA’s outstanding substitute teacher for 2007. He will be recognized at the Legislature on Oregon Substitute Teacher Day May 9 and at the Lincoln County School Board May 8. Teachers, administrators, secretaries, and students all love him. Some even say the schools could not run without him. One student told him, “Mr. Ricks, if I were a magic person I would make you live forever.” How does he engender such affection? By taking the hardest jobs and sticking up for students who need extra encouragement. He even takes pies in the face on the last day of school—all for fun. Walt Ricks started teaching in 1959 in a three teacher elementary school in California’s high Sierras, moving to Trinidad, CA the next year for 18 years, teaching a few years in each of eight grades. For twelve years, he assumed the vice principal’s duties which included Acting Principal and Superintendent when his boss had a fatal heart attack.For 15 years, he left teaching and became a business owner of a pet shop. During that time, he served eight years on the school board. In 1994, when Walt and his wife Dixie moved to Otis, OR, he volunteered to guide a Hispanic student through the eighth grade. Since then he has been a substitute teacher in grades 8-12 and all subjects in Lincoln City and Nestucca Valley. He connects with students by volunteering on the chain gang for Taft High School football games. In extra time, he tends to chickens and building projects on their two acres. Walt uses his experience as an administrator to save the day when other teachers are having a difficult time with students and no administrator is available. All agree that when he is in the school, learning continues and problems are quickly solved. He well deserves the honor of Oregon Substitute Teacher of the Year!
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Ways to Thank a Substitute Teacher . . . Here are some quick and easy ideas, but let creativity be your guide! · Candy by the substitute check-in, with a small sign: “You are our Life-Saver!” or “You Deserve a (Peppermint) Patty on the Back!” or just “Thank You for Being our Substitute Teacher.”* · Latte Gift Certificates, boutonnieres. · A poster in the front lobby welcoming substitutes. · Hand-written notes by leadership students, hand-delivered to classrooms or sent in the mail. · An after-school tea inviting substitutes who usually work in your building, but who may not have been called to your building that day. · Including substitute teachers in Teacher Appreciation Week activities. · Including Oregon Substitute Teacher Day in your morning announcements. · Announcing names of substitute teachers and for whom they are substituting. (Some schools do this on a daily basis, and it is helpful to the teaching teams as well as the students.) · Feel free to use the list of substitute teacher traits found below.
Substitute Teacher Traits
Smart Time-conscious Unflappable Enthusiastic Brave Available Safe Certified Teachable Helpful Interesting Ethical Tolerant Resourceful Understanding Tactful Energetic
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