By SANDRA THAMES / Community Columnist

Ninth grade English teacher (Thompson High School) Beth House and her husband Mike participated in the Dopey Challenge Run at Walt Disney World from Jan. 7-13.

This trip, a dream come true for the House family, allowed them to have a family trip (6-year-old daughter Mary Elizabeth also made the trip) help cancer research and have a special time together.

This event features four races over four days including a 5K, 10K, half-marathon and full marathon.

As a mentor for Girls on the Run, House shares her lifelong love of running.

Her other love that consumes much of her free time is horses, horses and more horses.

Raised and schooled in the Shades Valley area, House recalls her favorite childhood memory as competing on the Southwest Showjumping Team at the National Championships for three years during high school.

House attended the University of Montevallo, where she received her undergraduate degree in Communications Studies and her Master of Education in English Language Arts.

While attending the University of Montevallo, she met her husband-to-be at a local Montevallo restaurant.

He is an Auburn graduate whose parents reside in Montevallo.

The House family attends University Baptist Church.

Her selection as Teacher of the Year is an honor of which House is very proud.

This honor is the result of lots of hard work, investment of time, dedication, teaching skills, healthy relationships, patience, innovative ideas and true interest in her students, no matter the subject or the skill.

House serves on the Problem Solving Team and is helping to restart the Peer Helpers Program.

“Teaching is all about relationships,” House says. “Teachers need to know what goes on in a child’s life outside of school in order to better help the student learn. Students need to know that their teachers value them as people both in and out of the classroom and are always there for them.”

Last, but not least, House believes teachers need to be more involved with school administration and parents.