At Newberg High School in Newberg, drama and language arts teacher Drea Ferguson uses Socratic questioning, SAT preparation, vocabulary exercises, reflective writing and small-group discussions to keep students engaged in learning. As the instructional leader of the Arts and Communications Department, Mrs. Ferguson designed an advanced Shakespeare class in which students study the playwright's work with an emphasis on performance. The class may be taken for credit at Portland Community College. In addition to her departmental responsibilities, Mrs. Ferguson directs three full productions per year as well as a series of one-act plays and coordinates an extensive after-school thespian program. Mrs. Ferguson is an active member of the Newbury Education Foundation Board, a nonprofit organization that secures funding for unusual classroom projects.
1994 Portland State University, B.A.
