Arvest Patriot Teacher of the Month

Shelly Buhlinger, a fifth grade teacher at Wayside Elementary School, has been named a Bartlesville Public School District Teacher of the Month by Arvest Bank and Patriot Auto Group.

In recognition of this honor, Ms. Buhlinger  was given a plaque and a $300 check by Stevie Williams, Arvest Bank Marketing Manager, and Ty Kent of Patriot Auto Group.

Ms. Buhlinger has 32 years of teaching experience and has taught fifth grade for 14 years. As a little girl, she knew that she wanted to be a teacher, often setting up her own classroom with dolls as students. After she graduated from college with a degree in education, she was commissioned in the Air Force and served four years on active duty. As an Air Force officer, Ms. Buhlinger provided pilot training. After she transferred to the Air Force Reserves/Air National Guard, she was able to pursue her true passion of teaching while also serving an additional 24 years as an officer in the Tulsa Air National Guard.

ā€œI would say one of my greatest accomplishments in education is my thirty year dedication to the profession and the lives that I have touched along the way. As a teacher, you always hope and pray that you are making a difference in the lives that have been entrusted in your care,ā€ said Buhlinger. ā€œI have been inspired by so many students that I've watched grow into successful amazing adults.ā€

In 2012, Ms. Buhlinger was chosen for a scholarship to attend the Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute through the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence. She is a site facilitator for Project Lead the Way and serves as the Wayside site coordinator for Bruins on the Run, a fifth grade running and mentoring program funded through the Bartlesville Public Schools Foundation. At Wayside, she also helped start a recycling initiative which is now a part of a fifth grade service club. 

Bartlesville Public Schools is proud to join Arvest Bank and Patriot Auto Group in honoring Shelly Buhlinger as the Bartlesville Teacher of the Month.