Teacher of the Year

YPS “Batman Teacher” Honored as 2019/20 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year
Posted on 10/01/2018
Becky Oglesby - 2019/20 Oklahoma Teacher of the YearInspired by her third grade teacher Mr. Rader, Rebecca Oglesby demonstrates the heart of a teacher! Yukon Public Schools selected Oglesby as our District Teacher of the Year (TOY) for 2017-2018 and we are proud that she has been selected as the 2019/20 State of Oklahoma Teacher of the Year. Oglesby credits not only Mr. Rader, but also her experience at Plaza Towers Elementary in 2013 for the fuel that ignites her passion to teach students. As a second year teacher, she was one of the countless teachers, staff, and community members who responded in heroic fashion when called upon to care for and protect young children when a tragic tornado struck. Fortunately, she walked away, but her life and her commitment to teaching has forever changed as a result of the “school’s sweet angels” who lost their lives that day.

As an art teacher at Ranchwood Elementary in Yukon, Oklahoma, Oglesby is sometimes referred to as the “Batman Teacher.” Every year, prior to school starting, she writes individual letters to each student on Batman Stationary to welcome them to school and wish them success. The letters are always signed, “I love you and believe in you.” When pressed about Batman, Oglesby noted, “Batman does not have any superpowers. He cannot fly and he wasn’t bitten by a radioactive spider. He is just a man with a mask and a mission. Batman believed that one man could make a difference and took it upon himself to do so, and in turn became a legend. I want to be Batman. I want to be the ordinary person who puts on the mask that hides the simplicity of who I am, and fights to give my students the best education and empower them to find their purpose.”