"It's a little scary. We're not ready," she said while laughing. "We will be, though!" Moore added, "I don't thrive on the uncertainty."

This time, students were preparing to present a collection of issue driven vignettes that they wrote. "She listened to every single one of us and really tried to incorporate all of our ideas," said Katie Smith.

Preparing for the production is demanding. Ms. Moore asks students to practice whenever possible, including after school. During rehearsal she pushes them and prods them encouraging them to try it again and again. "She knows exactly what your limits are and she pushes you exactly to them," said student Morgan McCowan. "I always get the feeling I want to perform my best for her."

"Since I was a freshman she's always been the one that brought the best out of me," said Jordan Meyer. 

Moore hopes the students' experience on the stage will translate to their lives. "As they move out of high school to another place, I hope they realize that they can contribute positively to society. Boy, does that sound lofty?"

She continued, "Theater allows you to step into someone else's shoes. I think that's why theatre people are more tolerant and see the grey areas rather than black and white. So I hope my students are grey rather than black and white. That they're more accepting of people."

Recently Moore was honored as the High School Educator of the Year by her peers. It's easy to see why, when you visit the Ponderosa High School Theatre. "She's the life of the theater department. She puts her heart and sole into it," said Katie Smith.

Please join 9NEWS, CollegeInvest and Metropolitan State College in congratulating Kim Moore as we honor her with another award, the November 2007 9Teacher Who Cares.