Becoming a teacher is something Amy Reeves has always wanted to do. Even as a child, Reeves said, she was tutoring friends and helping them get good grades.

After joining the faculty at Dallas County High School six years ago, Reeves still enjoys making an impact and showing students that learning can be fun.

So much, in fact, that Reeves would give up her prep period in order to help out the drama teacher. She eventually took over the position, along with teaching 9th grade English and world literature.

It was her love of drama and dedication to her students that helped Reeves become the Dallas County School System’s Secondary Level Teacher of the Year.

She received the award at the end of January.

Now Reeves is in the running for teacher of the year for District 5, which includes 22 other counties.

While the teacher has her doubts about winning the district award, she does have qualities that make her stand out from the rest of the contenders.

In her English classes, Reeves tries to get her students to fully experience the lives of the characters they are reading about in books.

When her world literature students read the epic Greek tale &uot;The Odyssey,&uot; they learned about the ancient civilization by enjoying a Greek feast.

Currently her 9th grade class is reading &uot;Animal Farm&uot; by George Orwell, in which barn animals discuss the Russian revolution.

The mother of three said being around teen-agers and young children all day can be stressful, but she tries to find time for herself as well.