Articles

On March 3, 2011, Liz James, coordinator of educational programs at Humanities Texas, presented Diana Schneider of Sour Lake with an Outstanding Teaching of the Humanities Award. Mrs. Schneider teaches language arts and literature at Henderson Middle School, where she serves as a mentor and a guide to her sixth- and eighth-grade students.

"Mentoring my students and helping them to connect with their world through literature and art is my mission," said Mrs. Schneider. "Leading them to be human is my passion."

When studying The Diary of Anne Frank, her students explore the diary’s historical context, read the dramatic adaptation of the diary, examine art of the period, and even visit the Holocaust Museum in Houston. Her innovative and thoughtful lessons allow her students to not only develop a deeper appreciation of literature, but also to ask larger questions about the world around them.

Melanie Nunez, principal at Henderson Middle School, said, "Mrs. Schneider strives to teach students not only literature, art, and the mechanics of language, but also works to teach students how to connect with others and what it means to be a human being on our planet."