Educator Della Watson earns recognition from Humanities Texas

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High school English teacher Della Watson (at right) has earned a coveted Outstanding Teacher Award from Humanities Texas. Photo Credit: Humanities Texas

It is always a pleasure to share stories about exceptional educators who have earned accolades for their work in the classroom. One of these is Della Watson, an English teacher and music educator from Paducah, Texas. She has earned a coveted 2021 Outstanding Teacher Award from Humanities Texas.

Della teaches English, Reading, and Band at Paducah High School since 2018. She has also taught music education and choir at the junior high school level. In all, her career has spanned 15 years.

The honored educator is obviously views teaching as her calling. “I believe that learning should be engaging and fun for students so that they look forward to coming to class,” asserts Della. “I do my best to ensure that all of my students have many opportunities to succeed. Students very rarely fail my class, as I believe that if they fail, I have failed at doing my job, which is to teach all of my students,” she continues.

Clearly, Della has earned the respect of her colleagues. “[Ms. Watson] goes above and beyond what is expected because she deeply cares about her students and their learning, especially in the area of the humanities,” says Gary Whitman, Superintendent of Paducah Independent School District. “She connects with her students and causes them to enjoy learning as she makes it fun and exciting,” Whitman continues.

In addition to her teaching responsibilities, Della volunteers at Mel Mel’s Boutique. The boutique, a local business created in memory of a former Paducah student, earns funds to pay for scholarships for seniors from Paducah High School and nearby communities.

Della earned her Bachelor’s degree in Music Education in 1990 and her Master’s degree in Education, English, and English as a Second Language, both from West Texas A&M University.

As part of her honors from Humanities Texas, Della received a $5,000 bonus, with an additional $1,000 going to her school to support further excellence in the instruction of the humanities.