Barry Pewtress – Spectrum Academy High School

I am nominating my High School English teacher Mr. Barry Pewtress at Spectrum Academy a charter school for students with high functioning Autism for the Zion’s Bank Teacher Feature. I am nominating him because of his commitment to helping his students reach their full potential. Mr. Barry really cares about us; he never gives up and keeps on trying until we fully learn a subject. He spends hours developing new learning exercises and assignments. Although his job description is as an English teacher, his main goal is to help us independent and productive members of society.

But there’s more to Mr. Barry then just making progress in teaching his students, he believes that he has just as much to learn from us as we have to learn from him. He believes that having high level class discussions and hearing the experiences and views of others is one of key parts of learning. Mr. Barry also tells us that if he ever messes up on a lesson or if we have an idea for a lesson to tell him because that the only way he is going to find out how to teach us better.

He is also very funny, always joking around ant being silly. The one thing I really admire about Mr. Barry is that he is very open with us and shares experiences from his life that most teachers wouldn’t. He even wrote up a proposal and presented it to the school board asking the school to spend 60,000 dollars on I pads for each of the students to use at school.

Mr. Barry is one of the most kind understanding and open minded teachers I know; I believe he is playing a very important role in changing the world. I know for a fact that I would not be where I am at today without his help.
I will never be able to thank Mr. Berry enough for all he has done to help my friends and I reach our full potential, but I think the Teacher Feature would be a good place to start!

Sincerely,

Taylor Karren