Educator sees a purpose, greatness in each student

STIGLER — Valorie Lewis has lived through poverty, abuse and homelessness, and spent the large part of her childhood as the center of ridicule and feeling rejected.

Despite these unspeakable struggles, a young and impressionable Lewis survived because two teachers planted in her soul the belief she had a purpose.

As a career teacher for 15 years, that unquenchable drive to succeed is the catalyst that propelled Lewis to a nomination as the 2008 Oklahoma Medal for Excellence in Elementary/Secondary Teaching & Administration.

As a young student, Lewis lived in a horse trailer after her mother left an abusive husband.

"My mom covered the holes with cardboard boxes and made the best home she could under the circumstances,” Lewis said in the statement submitted with her nomination form.

Lewis also lived in a tent for a while.

She shares these humble childhood circumstances with schools across the state in order to illustrate how important it is to look for greatness in every child.

"I share how the love and support of two special teachers helped me … they showed me how important it was to believe in myself,” Lewis wrote in her nomination form.

As a result of Lewis' childhood, her daily goal as a teacher is to create an environment that will allow students to grow, dream and find their purpose.

Lewis' goal is to help other teachers look past labels to find greatness and purpose in every child and for students to look past their current circumstances and aspire to greatness.

"All students can learn,” Lewis said. ‘I've never really known a child to come to school and say, "I want to grow up to be a nobody.'”

Lewis uses peer tutoring and multi-intelligence activities to help students who are not traditional learners.

Some of Lewis's students have learned how to spell through sign language and finger spelling, while others learn by visually stair-stepping work.

Lewis believes that in order to succeed, students must believe in themselves, have positive attitudes about learning, have good worth ethics and that teachers must be willing to work diligently to teach in ways that work best for each student.

"I have worked with her (Lewis) for four years,” said John McClain, Stigler Grade School principal where Lewis has taught third grade for 13 years.

McClain said because she shares her personal story, she has provided inspiration to many people.

"She connects with the students,” McClain said. "I joke that she is part guardian angel and part drill sergeant.”

A creative teacher who also works with gifted and talented students, Lewis is seen as a disciplinarian but she loves her students, he said.

Lewis earned a spot in 2007 to the USA Today National Teaching Team. She was Stigler Public Schools' Teacher of the Year in 2007 and