The Leander Independent School District (LISD) has disclosed that Amber Funderburgh, a teacher at Vista Ridge High School, was honored as Teacher of the Year by The Texas Council of Teachers of English Language Arts (TCTELA). The TCTELA annually bestows this accolade upon elementary, middle school, high school and college educators it considers exceptional. Funderburgh's nomination was due to her commitment to the field of literacy, according to LISD.
Cody Edwards, the Language Arts Curriculum Specialist, stated in a press release that Funderburgh's passion for writing pedagogy significantly contributed to her students' success. He added that Funderburgh had played a pivotal role in steering the Heart of Texas Writing Project at The University of Texas at Austin for several years. Her experiences from this project were then applied within LISD through the Leander Writes Institute.
The district further revealed that Funderburgh teaches English I at Vista Ridge and is dedicated to fostering a safe and inclusive environment. "Students love to be in her classroom because it is the personification of literacy love," said Edwards. He described an engaging learning atmosphere where shelves overflow with books, walls are adorned with student exemplars, and reading and writing activities create a vibrant buzz.
Funderburgh will be formally recognized by TCTELA at its 59th annual conference in Round Rock from January 26-28, 2024, according to the press release.