Texas High adviser wins Teacher of Year award at conference

Rebecca Potter, Texas High School’s newspaper and yearbook adviser, recently received the Max R. Haddick Teacher of the Year Award during the Interscholastic League Press Conference.

The award was presented during final ceremonies of the 91st annual ILPC state convention, which was held May 5 and 6 at The University of Texas at Austin. The ILPC is an affiliate of the University Interscholastic League and is one of the nation’s largest state high school associations of student newspapers and yearbooks.

Potter has advised publications for more than two decades and has received several awards. She received the Edith Fox King award from ILPC for leadership in scholastic journalism in Texas, was named Teacher of the Year at Texas High and recently received the Texas Association of Journalism Educators Texas Trailblazer Award. In addition, her students have won many state and national journalism awards, including LPC Star Awards and NSPA Pacemakers.

“Rebecca doesn’t like the limelight,” Jeanne Acton, ILPC Director, stated in a press release. “Instead, she stands in the background, directing and orchestrating one of the best, if not the best, yearbook and newspaper in the state and nation. Hands down, her publications have the best coverage and best writing I’ve ever seen from high school students.”

Charla Harris, Pleasant Grove High School’s newspaper and yearbook adviser, nominated Potter for the award.

“Rebecca helps her students develop into independent, confident, critical thinkers who are ready to change the world for the better,” Harris said. “She gives her students the confidence and enthusiasm for journalism and facilitates strong, gripping writing and innovative design. She is not only my best friend, she’s also one of the best journalism teachers in the country.”

Clint Smith, her partner teacher, said Potter believes that it is “our duty to train the future of journalism to be ethical, fearless and compassionate.”

Potter said she was shocked and honored to receive the award.

“My career has been molded by the advisers I’ve had the privilege to know. Connie Penny, who mentored me during my student teaching, was the first example of what an adviser should be like,” she said. “Awards covered her walls, and I thought how I wanted to be like her. Lori Oglesbee-Petter spoke at the first yearbook workshop I attended. She sparked a desire to do something magical with the group of kids I had met just the day before. Although that first book was hardly magical, I knew the direction I wanted to go.”

Potter went on to say that Harris has also helped her in her career.

“My crosstown rival is also my biggest supporter. When I’m tired or frustrated, she’s there with encouragement and that little competitive nudge to keep me going,” she said. “My co-teacher, Clint Smith, never backs down from a challenge. When the kids approach him with some crazy idea, he always says, ‘I’ll make it happen.’”

During the awards ceremony, Acton said Potter teaches her students to report with “depth and maturity,” something she said she doesn’t see in every high school newspaper or yearbook.

“And year after year, her students walk away from this convention with multiple Gold Stars and many, many individual medals,” Acton said. “But you won’t see this adviser bragging about the medals or listing them in her bio. She doesn’t want the journalism world talking about her. But today, we are going to talk about her.”