For the second year in a row, 2nd Grade ELAR and Social Studies teacher Michelle Spencer has been selected by her peers as the Central Elementary School Teacher of the Year. The award this year is a little extra-special, as Michelle is retiring at the end of the 2022-23 school year.
A graduate of Vernon High School, Michelle began her 28-year teaching career at Electra Junior High, where she taught a year before going to Whitesboro Elementary. After a year at Whitesboro, she was offered a position at Central.
“I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to teach alongside teachers who taught me when I was in school,” Michelle said of her 26-year career with Vernon ISD. “Getting to teach and work with some amazing coworkers through the years has been special. I enjoy the family, small-town community atmosphere of VISD. Plus, teaching in VISD also allowed my children to become third-generation graduates of VHS.”
After graduating from Vernon High School, where she was a multi-sport athlete, Michelle went to Texas Tech University where she received a bachelor of science degree in human development and family studies.
The teachers who taught her while she was a VISD student influenced Michelle’s decision to become a teacher.
“I wanted to have a positive impact on students, just like my elementary teachers had on me,” she said.
As she retires, Michelle hopes VISD continues to update its older facilities and the district is able to keep smaller class sizes for the lower elementary grades.
Michelle’s husband Robby, also a VHS graduate, is a teacher at Vernon Middle School. They have two children, Andrew Spencer and Addison Spencer.
When she’s away from the classroom, Michelle enjoys reading, scrapbooking, and watching sports, especially Texas Tech, the Texas Rangers and the Dallas Cowboys.