Teacher of the Year does her homework to welcome students

Feb. 18—FORT GIBSON — High School librarian Kirsten Harrison says she seeks to make her space exciting and comfortable.

"I want students to feel welcome here," she said. "I want it to feel homey, that this is a place where they can feel comfortable to study, to read. Sometimes they just want to come and sit. Also, I want them to have a reason to come here. If they don't want to read, I want them to come and feel excited about it."

Harrison, who also oversees the high school yearbook staff, has been named Fort Gibson School's Teacher of the Year.

"I am very honored," she said. "It means a lot to know that the people you work with, your peers, recognize what you do and appreciate it. I work with amazing teachers. They do amazing things every day."

FGHS Principal Ben Pemberton called Harrison a phenomenal educator — and more.

"Several years ago, she was influential in remodeling the library, making it fresh and appealing to kids," Pemberton said. "Her collection is always being refined and up to date. She does neat and interesting things, like on Valentine's Day, she does Blind Date with a Book. She encourages kids to get something new, try it out and stay engaged in the reading process."

She gets other faculty involved as well, by having "What I'm Reading" posters by each classroom, Pemberton said.

"We're always updating what our teachers are reading, so our kids are walking by and seeing that and gathering ideas on what they might become interested in," he said. "It actually helps you form conversations with kids if you've read something that's similar."

Harrison said she even posts reading ideas in bathroom stalls.

"When students are in the bathroom, they can read about the different books, they can come in and read and check them out," she said. "It's whatever I can do to get their attention, to notice."

Now in her 20th year in education, Harrison has been at Fort Gibson for six years and taught English at Hilldale High before that.

"My favorite part of teaching English was literature and getting students excited to read, because there are a lot of students who don't take pleasure in it and find it tedious," she said.

Harrison said she constantly follows what's trending, what students are reading, "even what shows they are watching, what movies they're watching, tap into that."

Advising the yearbook staff is another of Harrison's duties. She said it's one of the hardest things she's done, but it's also rewarding."

"It involves a lot of hours, and it's all student run," she said. "I give them input. But at the end of the day, they're the ones that take the pictures, write the stories and put it all together. The kids have a really big vision for what they want to do, and we hustle really hard to qualify for an award that we've received for the last nine years."

Yearbook staff member Naudia Davis said Harrison also is quick to show her appreciation.

"She's super helpful, she's really upbeat and always in a good mood," Davis said. "She's very helpful when we're editing our spreads or something in general, we can come and talk to her about everything. It doesn't have to be just yearbook."

Fellow staffer Avery McDaniels said, "She makes you feel really welcomed and loved."

Pemberton said Harrison also is the site technology manager at FGHS and helps keep the technology up to date.

Meet Kirsten Harrison

AGE: 44.

CURRENT HOMETOWN: Fort Gibson.

EDUCATION: Warner High School; Bachelor's and Master's degrees at Northeastern State University.

FAMILY: Husband, Danny; two children. Family raises goats, chickens, geese on a small farm.

HOBBIES: Reading, baking, watching TV and movies, crocheting.

FAVORITE BOOK: "My most recent favorite would be 'The Inheritance Games' by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. It's part of a mystery series."