A smile from a former student can turn Brauna Nabors’ day around. So can a wave, a hello or a fist bump when she runs into someone she once taught at Durant High School.
“Nothing brings me greater joy than to visit with my students!” Nabors said.
Now in her third year of teaching, Nabors teaches ninth-grade English. She joined Durant High School in August 2024, bringing with her the conviction that every student can make progress, though each may need a different path to get there.
“My teaching philosophy is that every child can learn,” she said.
That belief shapes a classroom where students might work in groups, debate an idea, discuss a book or tackle an assignment on their own. Nabors considers it a good day when they are engaged and excited to learn. One of her favorite books to teach is Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games, the novel that drew her into reading as a middle school student. Watching students find that same enjoyment has made teaching especially meaningful.
Her mother, a middle school math teacher in Valliant, helped inspire her career. So did the high school English teacher who encouraged her writing and helped her fall in love with literature. Years later, her husband, Kyle, encouraged her to return to college after the COVID-19 pandemic and earn her teaching degree.
At Durant, Nabors works to know students beyond their assignments. She asks about their interests and attends games and other activities. When a student withdraws or struggles, she makes time for a private conversation.
“I have noticed that my students just want to know that someone loves and cares for them, and I truly do,” she said.
Nabors sees student apathy as a challenge and hopes confidence can help students take a greater interest in English and school. Her colleagues have supported her through every kind of day, and she hopes to pass on the encouragement she received from her family and teachers.
One teacher’s belief changed the way Nabors saw herself as a writer. She hopes her students will someday say the same about her.
