Nicole Butler-Hooton, a second-grade teacher at Irving Elementary in the Bethel School District, is Oregon’s Teacher of the Year for 2021. Butler-Hooton says ever since she started teaching in 2006 she has centered equity and cultural acceptance of her students in her work. As a Siletz woman and member of the Apache Tribe, Butler-Hooton is also a board member of the Oregon Indian Education Association. We talk with Butler-Hooton about her teaching career and how she is connecting with students and families during the pandemic.
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