rs. Brenda Fisher, is an exceptionally talented art teacher at Plainview Middle School. Her students gain training rivaling any in the state.
Recently Plainview submitted 20 entries to the Oklahoma Junior Art Exhibition at the Oklahoma State Fair. The students' works were juried and 17 received Merit Awards. Her students also won "Best of Show" and "Best Individual Student Award," garnishing more awards than any other school in Oklahoma.

Seven pieces of her students' work are part of the permanent collection exhibited in the Oklahoma Children's Hospital Cancer Center. With Brenda Fisher's assistance, her students won first place in a national contest. The students entitled their exhibit "How Can I Make a Positive Imprint on the World."

Students made linoleum prints of their self-portraits and wrote an essay addressing the issue of positive things they could do to make a difference. Mrs. Fisher prepared lesson plans for teaching this project which were distributed to teachers across the United States.

      The students' artwork appears on the front cover of a national magazine, "Arts and Activities" for one year.

Besides being known throughout the state and nation as an art teacher, Brenda Fisher shares her talents with the community by volunteering with the Southern Oklahoma Arts & Humanities Council and Communities in Schools.

"You must teach with respect to gain respect," states Fisher. "Teaching is a full-time, around-the-clock profession if your heart is in your work. All it takes to rekindle your desire for teaching and entering the door daily with fresh ideas and excitement, are small comments from your students. Early one morning, a young girl entered my classroom and said, 'You have made a difference in my life.' Then I realized this is exactly what I wanted to accomplish. This was the best evaluation a teacher could receive."

Mrs. Fisher's dedication, along with that of many other Ardmore and Plainview teachers, is why students receive a quality education in Ardmore schools.