Bernard Pearce taught mathematics and Spanish to the students of Ouray Middle and High Schools for 31 years. Since then, in semi-retirement he continues to teach Spanish, serves as the school's athletics/activities director and coaches cross country, basketball and track and field. In 1985, Mr. Pearce helped develop and implement BRAINSTORM, an extracurricular six-week problem-solving competition. Mr. Pearce's teaching style, which stresses positive reinforcement, has encouraged increasing numbers of students to continue their math education through all four years of high school and has helped them achieve above-average SAT and ACT scores. A recipient of the 1981 Ouray High School Teacher of the Year Award, Mr. Pearce continues his own education through regular in-service programs, and he shares new techniques and ideas with other teachers. "I try to pay attention to what the research says we should be teaching," says Mr. Pearce, "and blend it with how I perceive the students feel they can apply it best." An advocate of outcome-based student assessment, Mr. Pearce says, "Taking the time to listen to what the students say and making the effort to watch how they do things, makes learning and teaching fresh everyday."
1979 University of Northern Colorado, B.A.
