Telling Students’ Stories

Nicole Butler-Hooton

When Nicole Butler-Hooton was named Oregon Teacher of the Year 2021, it came as no surprise to her colleagues at Irving Elementary in Eugene, where she has taught for fifteen years. Nicole is known among the teachers and families in her community as a teacher dedicated to a learning experience that embraces her students’ cultures and brings their unique stories into the classroom.

Nicole always knew she wanted to be a teacher, saying “Education has always felt truly empowering and something that I was taught as a young age to really value and that was something that was instilled by my parents and my grandparents.” Part of both the Apache and Siletz nations, her family’s experiences shaped her perspective, emphasizing the power of building trusting relationships within their community. When Nicole found out about the Sapsik’ʷałá program, she was excited about the opportunity to explore her cultural identity and give back to Indigenous communities.

She credits the Sapsik’ʷałá program with helping her learn how to be a culturally responsive teacher. “I know that having those roots in the Sapsik’ʷałá program, and having it based around our culture and our heritage made me feel safe, and it created a space for me. And that is what I hope to do with my students.”

As a second-grade teacher at Irving Elementary, she’s been a leader in her school, her district, and beyond, serving on the equity team at Irving Elementary, the Bethel Teacher Leadership Committee, and as the representative for the Eugene/Springfield area to the Oregon Indian Educators Association. As Nicole navigates distance learning during the COVID-19 epidemic, she sees the time she can devote to teacher training and creating a more culturally responsive curriculum as an unexpected boon. Speaking about the power of culturally responsive teaching, she says, “Bringing in the stories that our kids are telling is our mission. That’s our work as teacher leaders.”