The teacher spotlight for this Paw Print edition features Mrs. Speer. She was chosen for the spotlight based on her dedication and commitment to the students and teachers. In her 21 years at Wylie, she has touched the lives of many students and has helped pave the way to their success.

Mrs. Speer went to Abilene Cooper High School and then went on to get her undergraduate degree from the University of Texas at Austin.

“I always though I wanted to be a doctor. In fact, my undergrad degree was Biology, Chemistry, Physics because I was pre-med,” Mrs. Speer said. However, she pondered on this idea her senior year and decided to become a teacher of two of those subjects instead. Since then, she has taught for 28 years, two at Houston Technical Institute, five at Abilene Cooper, and the rest here at Wylie. While teaching, Mrs. Speer also earned a degree in geology from Hardin Simmons University.

Mrs. Speer’s main inspiration for being a teacher was her high school biology teacher. “I loved my biology teacher,” she said. “She didn’t just teach me biology; she taught me good life lessons like how to study right and make the most of my time.”

Mrs. Speer reflects her ways of teaching upon those of her high school biology teacher. “I am old school. In fact, I was one of the first ones to get a smart board at Wylie. Old dogs can learn new tricks,” Mrs. Speer commented.

The students are Mrs. Speer’s favorite part of teaching and are what have kept her going. “I have been offered several jobs in geology and at other schools, but the kids here make me feel really good about what I’m doing.” For instance, Mrs. Speer remembers a time when she had a student who had a breakdown in her class. This student had been overwhelmed with trying to balance school and an upcoming play she was a lead in. “That night, I went and bought her flowers and took them to her after the show. She wrote me the most beautiful letter, and that meant more to me than anything,” she said.

Mrs. Speer’s knowledge and tenure has allowed her the opportunity to lead one of the most prestigious groups at Wylie High, National Honor’s Society. Her leadership with this group has proven to be a perfect match based on her use of the classroom to instill excellence in her students.

Mrs. Speer teaches her students more than just science; she encourages habits that are used beyond the classroom. Mrs. Speer is and outstanding teacher and mentor and Wylie is very fortunate to have her.