Table of Contents
Honoree Article Page
Adams, Rebecca "What Are We Doing Today?"
Daymon, Loretha "Thank You, Mrs. Simmons"
Harris, Kathy A. "Through the Eyes of a Child"
Hinze, Linda "The Power of One"
Parlevliet, Karri "Baby Steps"
Richardson, Kim H. "The Joy of Teaching"
Selmser, Sandy "Picassos Make No Mistakes"
Villamagna, George "When This Happens"
Baker, Lyn "The Magic of Teaching"
Barstow, Michael "A Learning Experience"
Culp, Yvette "The Empowerment of My Students"
Day, Noelie B. "A Simple List"
Epresi, Janet "A High-yield Investment"
Hammer, Jeannie "Music, the Language of the Heart"
Hicks, Cathy "Education and Compassion:Two Values Which Can Change the World"
Hoover, Christina "Student-centered Classroom"
Hoskins, Linda "Kindle the Flame of Desire—Learning Follows"
Hunter, Cassandra "Building a Love For Learning"
Johnson, Charlotte M. "Learn, Love, and Laugh"
Kramer, Janet "The Best Job in the World"
Machado, Mariana Therese "All Kids Can Fly"
Martinez, Monica A. "A Stormy Start"
Paul, Sharon "Difficult but Cherished"
Rajabi, Lolly "Encouraging Reluctant Writers"
Risinger, Libbi "Small-group Success"
Solis, Narda "Shelling Out a Pearl"
Bailey, Betty "My Mentors—My Friends"
Coleman, Tonya P. "Character Matters: A Blueprint for Success"
Comer, Andie "Once Upon a Time"
Devillier, Jill "You Can Achieve Anything You Put Your Mind To"
Garza, Gerónima "New Expectations"
Hollenbeck, Ann G. "Teachers Make a Difference"
Holsome, Barbara S. "Legacy of Learning"
Kinninger, Kathy "Heart-to-heart Teaching"
Napier, Deanna "Get Fit Where You Fit In"
Perez, Ruben G. (Jerry) "Thank God for Friends and Heroes"
Perry, Laura A. "Teach, Love, and Pass It On!"
Stevenson, Mary Susan "A Positive Impact"
Weinkauf, Tom "A Joyful Cycle"
Wooten, Michelle "Welcome to My World"
Carlson, Carol "Finding the ‘Long-neck’ Women"
Dickson, Nadine "Those Who Can Do Better Teach"
Duncan, Mark "Challenging Myself to Be a Lifelong Learner"
Hurst, Beverly Cotton "Learners in Room 108"
Moody, Susan "When I Grow Up, I’m Going to Be an Art Teacher"
Oberle, Cathy "Seeing Old Ideas With New Eyes"
Powell, Linda "Gifts to be Found"
Taylor, Tommie "Magical Ring, or Magical Teacher?"
Christensen, Scott, and Dumlao, Claro "Two of a Kind"
Clever, Teresa "Teaming, the Secret to Success"
deLeon, Cathie "Sharing the Spotlight with Teammates"
Greek, Donna "More Than Algebra"
Griffin, Stacy "Supporting Successful Students"
Morton, Lois "Team Up with Fine Arts"
Nebel, Mike "Personality and Profession in Transition"
Sowell, Diann "A Winning Team"
Williams, Linda "Learning Together"
Index by Campus
What does it mean to be an exemplary teacher? One definition can be found in the district's Portrait of a CFISD Teacher, which describes these characteristics.
CFISD's annual Spotlight program, now in its 17th year, is the district's way of recognizing our classroom teachers who demonstrate these qualities day-in and day-out to make a difference in the lives of our students. Though each campus has a full cast and crew of star-quality performers, Spotlight allows each principal to select one teacher to be in the spotlight, center stage, so that we may honor that individual's performance.
This publication is set up as an informal sharing of real-life stories. Sometimes, when our lives are bombarded by volumes of paper, information, reports, and other impersonal data, a personal story can have a powerful impact for reminding us that we are not dealing with statistics, but with human beings—children—and that each one is special.
The narratives that follow were submitted by the 2002 Spotlight teachers, who were asked to choose one of the five dimensions of the Portrait and relate a personal "success story" from their experiences as a teacher or because of a teacher. The stories relate
Some honorees recount childhood memories from their own days as students, while some describe pivotal moments in their careers involving especially memorable students, colleagues, or events. We hope you will be entertained and inspired by these insights from our teachers honored in this year's Spotlight.
A CFISD teacher is an instructional strategist who thoughtfully designs learning and assessment activities which present the depth and breadth of content appropriate for students’ age and aptitude and which promote students’ actively thinking about the subject—the learners’ engagement coming from personal connections, curiosity, challenge, and real-world applications.
The most enjoyable part of teaching Texas History is planning lessons that will allow my students to experience history. With each new unit I try to find some special activity that we can share that will allow them to participate in history. At the end of last school year, I asked my students to tell me which lessons they remembered and which lessons they enjoyed the most. From their answers, I discovered that the lessons they remembered and enjoyed were the ones that I enjoyed sharing with them.
Whenever I plan a special activity, I rearrange our classroom before they arrive. This change always prompts them to ask, "What are we doing today?" They know that the new arrangement means we are doing something different or special. For example, when we were studying frontier life in Texas, we worked on part of our lesson by lantern light, thus experiencing life on the frontier. We also made toys and played with them during class. They were amazed to discover that the simplest item could become a toy. We also pumped water from a well with a real pump. My students quickly agreed that this was a lot of work—fun to try, but just for a little while.
While we studied the Alamo, I shared with them my model showing the Alamo as it was in 1836. After we studied the model and talked about the battle, one of my students suddenly said, "Oh, now I see what you mean!" It is at times like that one that I know it is all worthwhile. When they can "see" what we are learning about, then I know that I have accomplished my goal.
In the relatively small city of Baton Rouge, LA, where I grew up, it was not uncommon for students and teachers to have closer relationships than they do today. As close as we were to all our teachers, I found myself closer to one than to any other. Her name is Mrs. Melba Simmons, and she was my fifth-grade teacher.
Mrs. Simmons was like no other teacher I’d ever met, before or since. She had a way of making her students feel comfortable in school. We felt that we were important individuals in her eyes. There was not one subject that she taught us from which I have not reaped benefits.
She even took time out of her weekends to share with her students. She would invite us over for the weekend to spend time with her family. We would go a few at a time, and later we would always have something interesting to tell the others about—what we did, where we went, or what we saw. The experience was not a one-time occasion. She offered this opportunity many times during my fifth-grade year.
Imagine the surprise when, as our class sat in the auditorium waiting to learn the name of our sixth-grade teacher, it was announced that Mrs. Simmons’ entire fifth-grade class would be with her for sixth grade! There was genuine excitement and joy on the faces and in the hearts of all of her students. I could not think of a better gift than to have the teacher whom I admired so much the previous year be my teacher again.
The fun started over in sixth grade. She stayed true to tradition and taught a class of sixth graders who were very well prepared to meet the challenges of junior high school when the time came. Most of us who spent two years with Mrs. Simmons went to junior high speaking well, writing correctly, and playing musical instruments skillfully. We became members of the Junior, and then Senior, Honor Societies.
That experience in grades five and six has helped me to realize what a joy it is to teach and to touch the lives of students. No matter how small the touch, it is important. It also helped me to realize that my students are people who deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. Mrs. Simmons gave me the nurturing and kindness that have helped me to become the teacher I am today, and for that gift I say, "Thank you, Mrs. Simmons."
During my years in graduate school, there were two circumstances that molded me into the teacher I am today. First, my son hated science with a passion. Second, as I made the long drives to the university, I listened to a set of tapes called "Making Winners Out of Underachievers."
My son Jason had the same science teacher for both the seventh and eighth grade. Mr. S. believed that teaching science consisted of reading a book and answering the questions that followed. As time went by, Jason viewed science as a boring, irrelevant subject. I determined then that science would be exciting and meaningful to my future students.
Experiments and labs take science out of the book and put it in students’ hands. They cultivate an eager and curious learning ethic so that studying the natural world can be a lifelong endeavor. I have a deep, abiding belief that not only can all children learn, but also that all children want to learn and be "winners."
Many of our reluctant learners have experienced the pain of failure multiple times and are unwilling to take any more risks. Hands-on activities allow every student to feel successful on one or many levels. During labs, there are many different tasks within a group which provide opportunities for each member to shine with his or her own particular ability and talent.
In the initial days of my second year as an educator, I was exposed to an approach to teaching that would influence my life to this day. Until that time I was befuddled and somewhat adrift, a nomad in search of his "oasis." In August of 2000 an exceptional instructor by the name of Nan Nevels introduced me to my oasis—brain-based learning—a sound discipline-management and teaching philosophy that was tailored to my personality.
The student-centered, brained-based method showed me that learning can be meaningful and entertaining for the student. I began my renaissance period by incorporating changes that would address the learners’ states of mind. My students adapted well to completing their work in the gentle breeze while lying in the grass. Stretch breaks became commonplace, while standing on chairs provided a different perspective—as well as a few giggles.
It was in my second month that I adopted teaching form the tabletops. I choreographed my presentation to encompass the entire room, which clandestinely minimized any off-task behavior. My visual learners experienced aesthetically-pleasing lessons such as
Finally, my discipline-management plan underwent a transformation, finding its roots in the medieval period. My "peasants" earn praise through credits that lead to "knighthood" status or a title such as "lady." The court is presided over by the king, decked out in his royal garb. Pretending to exist in another era allows the student to improve his current social standing.
I know brain-based learning is effective because I can see the positive response.
The set was comprised of makeshift tables and chairs and accented with handmade artwork. The costume designs were of award-winning caliber. The spotlight was always shining bright, center-stage, on the teacher and her very willing and eager pupils. The support cast and crew were always in close range. The room was filled with laughter and great conversation. The faces were all aglow!
My childhood playtime, filled with enormous amounts of imagination and creativity, is the time when my love of teaching began. These early teaching experiences evolved from modeling the methods of teaching I learned from my parents, family, and classroom teachers. Occasionally, my classroom experiences did not seem to meet my needs; therefore, I busily reinvented them.
Redesigning these lessons allowed me the opportunity to explore the concepts further and share information in the way I felt others would learn best. Applying my methods on my siblings and friends, I soon experienced the excitement of teaching. Thus, it was through a child’s eyes that I became a teacher.
The methods that served me well in my early career with my siblings essentially remain in place today:
Although the set, costumes, cast, and crew have changed over time, I realize that I’ve been fortunate to have the spotlight follow me. My parents, family, and friends continue to be an inspiration and guide my teaching. They will always share in my spotlight. My love of teaching continues to be enhanced by the students, parents, teachers, and administrators who join me today in the spotlight on "center stage."
An area of education I have found useful in promoting self-worth is service learning. For years my wall held a saying that my father was fond of.
"Self-esteem: If you want to
feel good about yourself, you must do something
worth feeling good about." ~ Unknown
Soon after that slogan went up, four students from my health class initiated a school-wide drive to collect diapers for children with HIV/AIDS. In the two years that followed, students at Cook Middle School raised over $2,500 by organizing dances and a carnival benefiting a daycare center for children with HIV/AIDS. Other service projects followed at Windfern High School—from installing broken-tile stepping stones for the preschool playground to helping the apprenticeship class widen sidewalks for wheelchair use at a local nursing home.
I have found that a service project as simple as having art classes decorate for the holidays or having their artwork displayed in the lobby gives them a sense of pride and accomplishment. As a result, I have observed greater compassion in my students. They realize their own ability to direct their lives and make a difference in the world. As a teacher I feel privileged to be a part of their discovery.
The last words written to me by my
Literacy Collaborative Coordinator, friend, and "awakener"—Stacey
DeLafosse—on
the day I graduated from her class were, "Just remember—baby steps."
"Baby steps" were words Stacey used many times in our coaching sessions.
"Baby steps," because I would read, study, reflect, analyze, and want
to embrace all that I was learning and present it as a perfectly-wrapped package
to my first graders the very next day.
Being a lifelong learner is what defines me. So when asked to write one story that has influenced me, I cannot. As Margaret Fuller once said, "If you have knowledge, let others light their candles at it."
As a lifelong learner I have truly been guided to this honor by the "light" of others. Devotion, importance, possibility, curiosity, patience, nurture, joy, concern, discipline, organization, compassion, and genuine love are attributes that I have learned from many dear to me. This group encompasses fellow teachers, professors in my own school days, and authors of the professional books I’ve read—all of whom have devoted their lives to teaching and sharing their knowledge for tomorrow’s future.
Though I will always be indebted to those I have learned from, I hope through my enthusiasm, sincerity, and excitement for learning, I will spark a light in the heart and memory of at least one child the way you all have in mine. And for that, I thank you.
Thank you for this wonderful honor. This award is particularly gratifying since it is recognition for something I truly love to do.
Those of you who know me are going to be surprised by this, but throughout my childhood I was quite the tomboy. My favorite play area was a creek that ran near my home. My experiences by that creek are responsible for helping to develop my love of animals—all animals. I’d bring home pet tadpoles, frogs, lizards, turtles, birds, and the occasional snake. My mom was pretty accepting of all but the latter.
Indeed today, I’m down at the bayou near my home looking for anything appealing. Even in the neighborhood, kids bring me interesting catches. As I grew older, a second but primary love developed. That is my love of children. Combining my two passions, children and animals, into what I have chosen as a career has made me very satisfied in what I do. I love teaching.
I enjoy engaging children in the learning process using all manner of manipulatives and hands-on materials. Animals are almost universally fascinating to children, but I try to identify other interests of my students, such as sports and hobbies. It is rewarding to observe the students’ reactions when I incorporate what they are excited about into a lesson. They get it. They discover the joy of learning.
CFISD (and the Science Resource Center, in particular) provides outstanding manipulatives for all subjects. I have found the animal rotation program extremely engaging for my students. They are naturally excited about new arrivals, and weaving this excitement into the lesson plans makes for effective, fun learning.
But through my experiences I’ve realized that the most important facet of teaching is showing your students you care for them, individually. Let them know repeatedly and often that you believe in them and have a genuine affection for them. For students to learn effectively they must have faith in themselves, and it is part of our responsibility to help instill this confidence. It is what I enjoy doing and has been effective for me. Even if students push the wrong buttons—maybe even more importantly when they push the wrong buttons—still show them affection.
One simple exercise that I find helps me, and also the student, is to end the day with a hug and tickle. I find it reassures the child, and, when they respond in kind, it reassures and soothes me.
Picasso explored more varieties of art in his lifetime than did any other artist in history. He was driven to create a style new to the art world, abstract cubism, only after he mastered various styles of realism in his "blue period" and his "rose period."
In college I had an extraordinary art teacher, Ms. D., who taught a three-hour upper-level drawing class twice a week, using only charcoal all semester. Ms. D. would never vary from the charcoal medium, only the process for which our assignment was to be carried out. We sketched and smudged still lifes, landscapes, portraits, etc., all of which I approached realistically.
One day we had an assignment to sketch a still life on our 24"x36" drawing pad. Ten minutes into my charcoal sketch, Ms. D. asked everyone to move one bench to the right and draw on that person's still life—but we would be graded on our original still life. I was surprised by this, but did it anyway.
I looked at the person's still life I was to work on and thought, "I can make this look more like the real still life in front of us." Then I looked to my left, and the person drawing on my still life turned my 24"X36" drawing pad upside down and drew all over it with a new still life. I was stunned! I thought, "Oh, forget a good grade on this project."
Ms. D. had us move one bench to our right and draw on a new pad every 15 minutes for the next two hours. Finally, I arrived back at my still life and had to stay there to finish it to turn in for a grade. It was so distorted and abstract that I was forced into shadowing and smudging-in the somewhat-recognizable shapes on the page. I left class that day very discouraged that my charcoal still life barely resembled the real still life in the room and that my grade was a failure as an artist.
A week later, when I got my drawing back, I found that I was one of two people in the class to get an ‘A’ on my art. Again I was stunned and surprised, but, most of all, I felt something that I had never felt before in art: there truly are no mistakes in art—only new creations. The "light bulb" in my head went on, and all I had learned from books and previous art experiences came together.
I saw art in a new way. I found that in "letting go" of my artwork, I found endless possibilities in creativity and a new sense of ownership for what I created! I could do anything!
Every day in my classroom I try to teach my students to follow a process, but the end product can be as creative as their imaginations will let it be! Everyone is successful! There is a Picasso in everyone, ready to explore endless creativity!
As a U.S. History teacher, I have the great privilege and the great responsibility of formulating lessons and class discussions that address the complex realities of our nation’s past. There are numerous events and issues in the teaching of United States history that lend themselves to interesting and, often, heated discussions.
I receive a great sense of accomplishment as an instructional strategist when I see the following kinds of exchanges.
These debates sometimes carry over to their lunch tables in the Commons and sometimes make it to their dinner tables at home. When this happens, I know that I have accomplished my instructional goal of providing opportunities for students to consider different historical viewpoints and to formulate their own views on these issues. When this happens, it re-affirms my commitment to this profession.
A CFISD teacher is a creator of a student-centered environment who provides a caring, supportive classroom in which students are workers and doers, comfortable in taking risks to further their learning.
A few years ago, a parent of one of my former students dubbed me the "Peter Pan" of teaching. When I inquired as to what she meant, she offered that, just like Peter Pan, I didn’t want to grow up! She was right—because for me the classroom is a magical place where we should role-play and discover exciting concepts about the world around us.
On any given day you will hear laughter coming from my area. It might be because we are speaking the "accent of the day" or because we are "karate chopping" the syllables in our spelling words. We have a group of signals in our room to acknowledge some great accomplishment or to laugh at ourselves for making a silly mistake. Homework is never wrong; just "fixable."
I strive for my classroom to be a place where students want to be. Whether it is singing a song to learn the Preamble to the Constitution or having the entire class act out prepositional phrases with different props, I want to provide my students with the chance to feel comfortable within the school environment. I feel that if I can accomplish this objective, I will have set the children in my care on a path to lifelong learning. That is my goal.
My first teaching assignment was sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade Math Power, a remedial math class designed to help at-risk students become more successful in their regular math class. I quickly found out that these students could care less about mathematics. As I look back on that year, I am not completely sure who did the "teaching"—me or the students.
What stood in the way between these students and learning? The answer to this difficult question became clearer as the year progressed.
By spending some time with these students and listening to their experiences, I realized that what I had to say about teaching math was the last thing on their minds. If they were to be successful, I first had to relate to them and then figure how to fit math into their highly-complicated lives.
It took time, time, and more time to prove to the students that I was not going anywhere, nor was I going to back down. I did not change my expectations for them after hearing about their after-school experiences—that knowledge only prompted me to raise the bar.
I still strive to center my classroom on knowing the students. Being able to tie the learning to their life experiences, not mine, has made their understanding deeper and more relevant. Students have to feel comfortable with the teacher in order to come to school early, stay late for extra help, ask for extra credit, and put forth extra effort. I use what I learned that first year to set the tone for each new year.
I currently teach three classes of students who have limited English proficiency. They are very unsure of themselves at the beginning of the year. In my classroom I have a poster that is up all year long. It says,
"Shoot for the moon.
Even if you miss,
you’ll land among the stars!"
The first day of school we discuss the meaning of that saying. I let them know that the only way they will do well is if they take risks. They are a little hesitant at first, but, as the year progresses, they amaze me with their newfound confidence.
Another saying that I use from day one is, "In my class there is no room for failure!" I let my students know that I value and love each and every one of them in his or her own individual manner.
There are many ways in which I address the needs of my students. First and foremost, I spend time focusing on their affective domain. I try to make them believe in themselves. When they believe in themselves, half the struggle is over. I always let the students know that I have high expectations for them.
Another popular way in which I meet the needs of my students is through something I call "Power Lunch." A Power Lunch is meeting during their lunch and recess hour once a week. During this time we eat lunch together and review skills they are having trouble with. I find that this is a bonding time for all. I enjoy it as much as they do.
Another way I meet students’ needs is through acting out difficult words. One example of this arose when we were reading a book and we came across the word "swarming." My students looked totally confused. I then asked a few students to join me at the front of the room. I told them, "When I say move, you all have to stay together and move with me towards the chalkboard." After this demonstration I saw the "light bulbs" go on. Everyone then had a bee-swarming story. These are just a couple of ways in which I meet the needs of my students.
Just the other day I received a letter from a student that said, "I love and respect Mrs. Culp because she gives me power." My job as a teacher is to make sure that my students leave me with the feeling of empowerment. I would like to think that I send them out into the world with the confidence to take on any challenge.
A simple list, that’s all it was—a list generated by thinking of others before oneself. Yet this list had a tremendous impact on my students. I had read a story from one of the "Chicken Soup" books, which described an interesting assignment a teacher had given to her students.
Each student was to write something nice about every person in the class. When that was done, the teacher picked up all the papers and then created a master list for each student. When she finished the compilations, she gave each student his/her list. As she watched her students read their lists, she could tell how much the list touched each student.
Several years passed, and the teacher received notification of the death of a student who had been in that class. She attended the funeral and saw several former classmates of the deceased. After the service, the parents came up to the teacher and handed her a worn, folded-up piece of paper. The father said, "John would want you to have this. It meant so much to him." As she opened up the paper, she realized it was the list. By this time, the classmates had surrounded the teacher. Each shared with her that they all still had their lists. After they said their good-byes, the teacher returned to her car. She got in and cried.
Recognizing the impact made by such an assignment, I then informed my students that over the Thanksgiving break they were to create the same kind of list for each of the students in our AVID class. When we returned from the break, I gathered the students’ papers and created the individual lists. AVID had a first-semester celebration in December, and that is when they received their lists. The students tore open their envelopes and started reading. I could tell that each student was touched by his/her list.
It was what happened after the celebration that really touched me.
Like the teacher from the story, I got into my car and just cried. A list, a simple list, that’s all it was.
In my fifth year of teaching, a little boy named Paul came into my first-grade class. He had moved four times in the past year, and there were significant gaps in his learning. He seemed to try so hard, yet he still had difficulties. Paul and I sat down and figured out where those gaps were.
I became his personal cheerleader and mentor. Paul responded so well to the encouragement, no matter how small the gain. He was always eager to learn more, just a little more. He had to work so much harder than the average student to make those gains. Every step was like a giant leap for him.
After we worked so hard for seven months, I learned form Paul’s mom that they were moving again. We were devastated. Paul left my school working on grade level in all subjects with an enthusiasm that I knew would carry him through life.
I think that the world is full of Pauls. They can succeed if you can excite them and provide the encouragement that they need. As I teach, I try to find that spark in each student. It’s a joint venture and requires investment of knowledge and emotions if we are to be successful. Kids are worth the investment.
When asked to write a story of the person who had most influenced my teaching, I found the choice easy to make. My greatest mentors have, indeed, been the students themselves.
As I reflect on my first two years of teaching, I remember the pride I felt in having my first teaching position. I implemented a music program which, by all standards, should have been successful. It seemed to have received the approval of parents and the praise of my principal.
In my heart, however, I felt that I had failed. I knew that I never projected to my students the real joy of loving music, and I never experienced the fulfillment and rewards that I had anticipated. After two years I resigned in order to begin my family.
Twenty-three years later I once again found myself in a classroom. It was a school largely populated by disadvantaged children. I shall never forget my first day of class. I had my plans and my goals, and I set out to achieve them—only to find that I was met with blank stares and "clock-watching" attitudes. The children had neither the background nor the experience to be successful.
After much frustration (on both their part and mine), I put my pride and my plans behind me and allowed the students to begin to teach me. I knew that there were things that they could do successfully, and I allowed them to do those things. I also began to make every effort to gain insight into both their personal and emotional needs.
As I yielded myself, our respect and love for each other began to grow, and along with it their acceptance of the challenges I set before them. I challenged myself as well, learning to teach classical music with excitement and emotion, and accepting that at times improvisation could be as worthy as sight-reading.
At the end of the year, I realized that it was I who had been the student. I have tried not to forget all of the lessons I have learned. I continue to make my plans, but I allow the students to hold my eraser. The rewards both professionally and personally have been immeasurable. In analyzing those first few years, I wonder how I could so easily have forgotten that "Music is the language of the heart."
"We must fight indifference to evil," commented Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, referring to the tragedy of September 11. "We fight indifference through education; we diminish it through compassion."
In our classrooms we have the privileged opportunity to teach students to think for themselves, to vanquish indifference, and to practice compassion. We do this by providing them with an environment that demands and promotes understanding, knowledge, and kindness—a place to belong. Creating a student-centered environment ensures that our students will actively participate in their education and accept the risks of authentic learning.
In 1981, my first year of teaching, I taught freshman English at Cy-Fair High School. This same year my youngest brother was also a freshman, attending Memorial High School in Houston. Partly because of this connection, I looked at the students in my classroom as special and familiar, deserving my attention and respect. I wanted each of my students to learn, to succeed, to find fulfillment through his or her enterprise and accomplishment. My classroom would be a place where each individual felt recognized, less alone. If they trusted me, and each other, they would be more open to learning (even if that meant reading all 500 pages of A Tale of Two Cities or memorizing 25 lines from Romeo and Juliet!).
Twenty years later, my philosophy remains the same. This year my own daughter sits in the classroom next door. I hope I have treated each of my students with the same consideration I would want for her—challenging, encouraging, correcting, and inspiring this next generation to read, to write, to express ideas, and to be passionate and involved. By acknowledging their ideas, listening to their stories, and supporting their dreams, we, as teachers, stimulate the intellect and strengthen the spirit of tomorrow’s leaders.
As long as I can remember, I have wanted to be a teacher. I recall numerous hours as a child in my bedroom teaching all of my dolls, Barbies, and stuffed animals as they sat in makeshift desks. When I was lucky, I was able to get my little brother and sister to play "student" for me. One of my favorite teaching tools was my yardstick, which I used to point to my chalkboard to reiterate a point or sometimes to get one of my students’ attention. As I look back on those times, I clearly see exactly what I thought a teacher was. A teacher was the leader and the students were the followers. It was as simple as that.
As I myself progressed through school, I saw teaching that clearly supported my definition of a teacher. The teacher lectured, the students listened and took notes, and the homework was assigned. This was the daily ritual. Did I still have great teachers who inspired me? Of course I did! Many of my teachers touched my life in special ways, for which I will always be thankful. I was a self-motivated and very diligent student. I thrived in this ritualistic type of environment.
When I started my first teaching assignment in a small, rural school in East Texas, I felt as though I had hit the jackpot. These students were wonderful! They were so easy to lead. They were great followers. Discipline problems were minimal, the kids liked me, and I liked them. They were in cooperative groups nearly every day, and they worked well together.
I recall thinking how well I was doing at putting all of the wonderful strategies that I learned in college into practice. A lot of good things were going on. We used manipulatives, did many exploratory activities, had a risk-free positive environment, and had fun learning. As I reflect back, however, I realize that while good things were going on, I never quite relinquished full control. One main element was missing—my ability to let go and let the students direct the learning process, while I simply facilitated.
It was not until I started teaching in Cy-Fair that I began to learn about the student-centered classroom. As I visited other Thornton classrooms, I saw this very thing happening. Students were being challenged, real-world application was extensive, and students were activated as workers, doers, and problem-solvers. What was even more surprising to me was that these classes were not in total chaos. The environments were still structured, just not in the traditional way to which I was accustomed. Students were also learning and seemed to be actually enjoying every minute of it.
I knew I had to be a part of this phenomenon. Luckily for me, it was not hard for me to learn how to achieve the student-centered classroom. Being part of both a content team and an interdisciplinary team, I had many people who were willing to help me. Because of such a strong district math team, I also had ample opportunities to attend many math workshops in which cooperative learning activities were presented, all of which were centered around the student as the problem-solver and the teacher as the facilitator.
It is now three years later, and even though I have not reached perfection when it comes to having a purely student-centered classroom, I have gotten much better. I consider myself a student just like the kids in my classroom. Each and every day is a learning experience. I learn from them as much as they learn from me.
Maybe one day, I will achieve the perfect student-centered classroom. Until then, I am content with letting my students teach me exactly what I need to do, or not do, to help them learn.
It was during the fall of my sixth-grade year when I found myself "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" and realizing that Robert Frost also happened by there once upon a time. And I began to discover other miracles as I noticed my classmates would listen intently each day to the teacher’s reading. He described many adventures in literature, such as the mighty Casey as he would go to the plate and bat. I, like the rest of the class, had become hypnotized by Charles McCarthy, our teacher.
Whether it was skipping flat stones across the water or building sand castles in our minds’ eyes, he brought education to life. He brought the dragon’s ferocity so close that we could feel the fire when the dragon breathed.
As elementary students we are like so much driftwood along the water’s edge—waiting for someone to pick us up, take us home and cherish us as individual prizes. I had been drifting in the wind, like every kindred soul in my class, until I hit the shores of Mr. McCarthy’s classroom. That’s where my life all changed, because I knew then that I wanted to teach, to inspire, to plant the seeds of inspiration in others, and to bring alive the winds of time.
I became rich in those days because of what Mr. McCarthy gave of himself as he taught. And after 30 years of following the principles learned from Mr. McCarthy, I have discovered that all we can hope for is that with some of our students we will see the wind together.
Thirty years—my how they pass so quickly! I have founded my teaching techniques on the belief that every student should leave my classroom more inspired than when he or she arrived. Reading is the fundamental lifeblood, opening the doors to broad horizons and inexhaustible opportunities. My guiding teaching philosophy is that teachers must provide the kindling which lights the fire of interest and passion in students.
I have shared my personal life experiences with all my students over the past 30 years as if each child were part of my family. In fact, for the nine-month duration of a school year, we are a family. A great many of my former students have returned to visit me throughout my career, because when they leave my class, they have a sense of worth and independence.
I have always wanted to revisit Mr. McCarthy and express my gratitude for the priceless gift which he bestowed upon me—a love of learning. Since I was never able to accomplish that goal, I have instead thanked him one small piece at a time, one student at a time.
It is always awkward when each year concludes, and each piece of polished and now-cherished driftwood, each with its own unique qualities, stands alone, collected and treasured. Then I prepare myself to return to the beach in the fall and begin the cycle over again.
If I had longer arms or taught in an old-fashioned one-room schoolhouse where I would have close contact with my students, I would really know whether all of them were ready to meet Robert Frost when they reached sixth grade, as I was.
Since such a luxury has always been beyond my grasp, I remain a teacher devoted to insuring that all students who pass through my classroom know where they have been and where they are going. My students and my hopes move forward with my belief that the flame which has been kindled will forever glow brightly.
I have not been a teacher my entire working career. Ten years ago, when jobs brought us back to Houston, I was encouraged by my niece to enter the Alternative Certification Program. My husband says that I have always been a teacher—I just get paid for it now!
One thing that made a profound impression on me was a study about grade-school children. The study concluded that, by third grade, most students have made up their minds about whether or not they will be successful in school. Having a third grader at home at that time, I found this to be staggering information.
What a life-changing decision it was to be making at the age of eight. I resolved right then that as a teacher I would try to make my classroom, and learning, as exciting and interesting as I could so that my students would love learning new things and would stretch themselves without fear. It also guided me to teach kindergarten so that I could provide children with a safe and encouraging learning environment as their first school experience. I am always on the lookout for new games, songs or whatever I can use to help my students achieve success.
Teaching young minds and ensuring that they are prepared for the future is serious business, but there is no reason for it not to be exciting and stimulating at the same time—for both the teacher and the student!
Keeping students engaged, especially in junior high, can be challenging. Instruction is useless unless it has the student’s attention. Maintaining an environment that encourages students to be effective learners requires me to re-evaluate their needs constantly. Randy Sprick’s workshop significantly enhanced my understanding of ways a teacher influences the classroom environment.
The "Portrait of a Cypress-Fairbanks Graduate" posted in my classroom is used to emphasize that I am there to help students progress in effective communication, problem-solving, self-directed learning, responsible citizenship, and producing quality work. Students are taught listening, reading, and group skills as they are used in class. Taking time to learn particular behaviors needed for success increases time available for future learning activities.
I endeavor to help students understand how our relationships assist us in doing our work. I frequently let students know that, because they are very important, I am committed to doing whatever it takes to help them be successful.
Campbell’s sixth-grade science team is diligent in developing and revising teaching materials. Our diversity helps us challenge students and also provides all students with the opportunity for success. We constantly search for more interesting or attention-getting ways to teach a concept. Our high expectation for responsible behavior allows students to participate safely in many interesting and fun activities. Students sometimes tell me years later about a memorable demonstration or lab.
Success for my students, and for me, is achieved one day at a time by doing our best at learning, loving, and laughing.
My name is Janet Kramer, and I teach physical education at Owens Elementary. I am one of those people who actually still loves her job, even after 15 years! How many people can say they play for a living? Well, we all know that is not what physical education teachers do exactly, but it is a large part. I think that is why children love my class so much. They learn about how to live a healthy life while they play.
When I was a child, being a teacher was not part of my plan. I really wanted to be an orthopedic surgeon. It is funny, because I was one of those children who really loved driving my teachers crazy! After my first few days of teaching, I called my mom and said, "I wish I could call all my teachers and tell them how sorry I am for the way I behaved!"
There were two teachers in particular, my fifth-grade science teacher and my sixth-grade art teacher. My science teacher was also a good friend of the family and attended our church. She would let me sit with her at church because she knew I might otherwise get into trouble. She would give me little science activities to do to keep me busy. I never understood why, but now, being a teacher, I know.
Teachers can see far more than what is on the outside of children, as did my art teacher. I was definitely not an artist, but she still took interest in me. We became good friends, and I would ride my bike literally 20 miles to help her mow her grass. My mother couldn’t pay me to mow ours! In return, she took me to many Aeros hockey games, and helped me through difficult times I was having as an adolescent. When I look back, they are the reason I became a teacher. They both showed interest and saw the potential in me that I didn’t see.
As a physical education teacher, I feel that part of my job is to help children see their uniqueness and feel important. The children who do not always succeed in the classroom environment will, I hope, succeed in my class. Self-esteem, the importance of having fun, and good health are the keys to life! If I can teach that to at least one child, I know I have done my job.
When children come back to see me, even when they are in college, it makes me feel old, but good! I had the honor this year of being invited to watch a former student sign her scholarship to college in swimming. Her mother told me that I was a positive influence in her daughter’s life and that this swimmer had wanted me to be a part of her signing. You really don’t realize how important you are to children until times like these. I think those are the reasons I love to wake up in the morning—to go to the best job in the world!
As I go through all the beautiful memories of the children whose lives I have touched (and, in turn, who have touched mine), there is so much I wish I could share, but space is limited. The areas of developing oral-language skills and building good self-esteem seem to be my cup of tea.
I provide a huge variety of puppets and props for role-play. Some puppet masks are huge enough to cover a child’s body, leaving only an opening for the face, so that a very shy child will feel more comfortable. I provide the children with smaller masks when they feel more confident.
I like to make experiences come alive so as to ignite in a child the desire to learn. I use thematic props such as an Indian village with a teepee, an igloo in winter, a volcano and dinosaur cave, a tent for camping, and—let me not forget—The Alamo. Other experiences using my props include a visit to NASA with a rocket; a planetarium with glowing stars and planets; and a spring garden with a white picket fence, a trellis with flowers, and insects everywhere.
In all these settings, the children experience past, present, and future; and winter, spring, summer, and fall. Even my shyest student will bloom with the excitement of these fun learning adventures.
My advice to all teachers is to keep a smile and be enthusiastic about life. Discipline with kindness and respect. Don’t be afraid to be silly or to use a lot of music, visuals, hands-on strategies, and love. Have high expectations for your students and set them up for success. There are success stories for all children!
I want to share this poem with everyone:
A child is like a butterfly in the wind.
Some can fly higher than others,
but each one flies the best that he can.
Why compare one against the other?
Each one is different.
Each one is special.
Each one is beautiful. ~ Unknown
I love to count my blessings, and this is one big one—to see children fly. They’re so cute!
I knew when I accepted a position as a LIFE Skills teacher that I was going to be challenged, and I was actually looking forward to it; however, I began to have doubts when—before school even started—I heard rumors about one of my students. Let’s call her "Isabel."
To say that Isabel was branded a "difficult student" would be to put it mildly. Having been forewarned, I expected to be somewhat ready for the first day of school. But when Isabel stormed in cursing and hitting, I knew nothing could have ever prepared me for her, or that first year.
Day after day, Isabel displayed behaviors that I had only read case studies about, and a few that I was sure she had invented herself! No matter what I tried, Isabel was always a step ahead of me. I felt that I was making no progress at all. So many days I just wanted to throw in the towel and admit that this little blonde hurricane had won.
Sheer stubbornness kept me from transferring—or quitting altogether. Also, when I realized that Isabel was unhappy with her own behavior, I knew I couldn’t give up on her. With the assistance of a wonderful paraprofessional and a supportive principal, we eventually got Isabel’s behavior under control.
Isabel has been my student for three years, and I never tire of hearing people say in disbelief, "That can’t be the same child!" Isabel taught me more in my first year of teaching than any formal education ever could. She is now a happy, pleasant young lady, and I am looking forward to teaching her for many years to come—after all, I still have a lot to learn.
I once asked a friend if he thought he had been a good parent to his children. He responded by saying, "You’d have to ask my kids." When presented with the task of choosing one of the five dimensions of the "Portrait of a Cypress-Fairbanks Teacher" to which I could best relate, I remembered what my friend had said years ago: "Ask my kids."
I reminded myself that my seventh graders and I had already been together for about 150 days this year. It was time to "ask my kids" what they thought of me as their teacher and to get a sense of the particular dimension of the "Portrait" that seemed to fit me best.
As part of warm-ups one day, I presented the familiar "10-minute Response Writing." The prompt on this particular day was as follows:
I have been nominated for a distinguished award that recognizes me for my accomplishments as a teacher. In order to fulfill my nomination, I must write about one of the following:
Can you help me out? In which of these areas do you feel I’ve done my best? Please be specific; maybe give examples. If you have a hard time nailing down one of the topics, then just write about the things you think I’ve done especially well as your teacher.
After reading the prompt with the students, I had two items to address before they started writing.
(1) Positive vs. negative
I said, "If you don’t enjoy my class or do not like my method of teaching,
and cannot imagine responding to this prompt in a positive way, why don’t you
give me some constructive criticism? If you see problems, let me know. Offer
a possible resolution or two to solve the problem. Remember: your constructive
criticism will help me be more in tune with your needs and ultimately will help
me to be a better teacher."
(2) Defining the terms
What about the "teacher jargon" in the five dimensions of "Portrait"?
I certainly couldn’t expect them to know what was meant by each of the dimensions
without providing some explanation. So, after some examples and clarifying questions,
everyone seemed ready to dive into the response writing.
Normally what we do after response writing is allow for sharing. In this particular case, I hadn’t expected anyone to want to share what they had written—but, to my surprise, when I asked to collect the papers, my students wanted to know why they couldn’t read what they had written. I confess that I was a bit nervous, but we proceeded with the reading of responses. One by one, it became evident to me what dimension my kids felt I most embodied.
I’m glad that I "asked my kids" what they thought I’d done especially well as their teacher. They seemed to agree that my work is about them. My joy of teaching stems from their personalities, their contributions, and their enthusiasm.
I was a first-year music teacher with a challenging fifth-grade music class. Two young boys came to my immediate attention. Jeremy had desire, but could not match pitch, and Robert was disliked by all adults on campus.
I created a fourth- and fifth-grade choir that met twice weekly after school. After auditions, Robert informed me that he did not want to be in choir. I told him that I would love to have him, and I asked him to reconsider. To my surprise, not only did he show up, but he didn’t miss a single rehearsal in two months.
Meanwhile, the fifth-grade music class began to make progress. By Christmas, everyone could sing on-pitch except Jeremy. Little by little, Jeremy and I began working each day on vocal technique.
Teachers began asking about Robert being in the choir. They couldn’t believe that he would attend rehearsals and performances, be featured in the district publication, and wear the white choir robe and red tie. I told them that he came because he knew I wanted him to come.
It was May and the fifth-grade class had really improved in all respects. One day we were singing and Jeremy matched pitch for the first time! The entire class erupted in applause and cheers for his success.
I’m honored that, many years later, students or parents contact me concerning a daughter on Broadway with Ann-Margaret or a student finishing an internship with CNN. Through the years, I’ve found that there is always a Jeremy or a Robert needing someone to believe in them or show a little extra interest in their success.
Being named Hairgrove’s "Spotlight" teacher this year is truly an honor. I am blessed to work with such compassionate, giving, and talented people. I am inspired and motivated by so many wonderful colleagues.
I have taught first-, second-, and fourth-grade ESL classes as well as a co-teach class for two years. These students are generally reluctant writers, and motivating them is the most challenging part of my job. Many of these students feel they have nothing to write about. Creating a safe environment where they know they can be successful and have their ideas listened to is what I try to provide for them.
I recently took the "Six Traits to Good Writing" course, which changed how I teach writing. As part of an assignment for that class, we were asked to write two narratives that would later be published for all to read. Each day in class we would be given a topic to write about; then we would do a peer conference over that piece of work. It was an awkward experience at times, reading your paper out loud to a stranger.
Learning how to give and take constructive criticism was very humbling. This course really gave me insight as to how students must feel when we ask them to write. The main thing that was stressed is that what students have to say is more important than how it looks. We must be positive and encouraging in order to build their self- confidence. This year I’ve used several of the techniques from the Writing Institute and my once-reluctant writers have flourished. They now ask me, "Mrs. Rajabi, what are we going to write about today?"
As an educator of young children for more than 20 years, I continue to find excitement and joy at the beginning and ending of every school year. My goal each year is to diagnose all students' emotional and academic needs and begin my job as a mentor and teacher through small- and large-group instruction.
I can remember that, in my beginning years as a teacher in Dallas, I became extremely concerned when several of my students were having difficulty relating letters and sounds. It was at that time I began in a very minute way to implement small-group instruction. I was pleased at the progress students were making, but I hadn't totally perfected the technique and strategy.
In 1997, when Cypress-Fairbanks implemented full-day kindergarten with the emphasis on a balanced literacy program through small group instruction, guided reading groups, and literacy workshops, the district gave me an opportunity to perfect that technique, and I was eager to begin.
This exciting teaching style has become a very powerful tool in helping my students attain academic success and a feeling of independence. It has given me the opportunity to know my students personally. I have the wonderful chance to gain knowledge of their personalities and find just what interests them. Sometimes a spark is kindled by a book title that we are reading in our guided-reading group. It is a joy to see their faces light up when their work is displayed at Open House and to watch the pride they exude when they show their product to a sibling and say, "Look at mine!"
It is also wonderful to see the enthusiasm when they are working together in a large group to create a wall story or mural to be read during literacy stations. It is thrilling to watch young children become independent workers, moving from one task to another like miniature adults in an office. This teaching environment is invigorating, because I see students become problem-solvers and begin to rely less on their peers and on the teacher.
I have taught at various campuses in a variety of settings during my 15 years in Cypress-Fairbanks. Whether it was summer school, intersession, or the regular school year, each experience has allowed me to learn and to take that knowledge and apply it to my teaching.
I have had the opportunity to meet and collaborate with various teachers and exchange many ideas. I have been very fortunate to work with many wonderful administrators who have given me excellent opportunities to grow as a professional by allowing me to attend special workshops and seminars and observe colleagues from other campuses.
Like every other teacher I believe there is a distinct defining moment—the first time you realize you have made a difference in a child’s life.
I was teaching in an inner-city school having an enrollment that was 90% Hispanic and 90% below the poverty line. One student who made huge strides that year was Elias. He was the oldest child in a single-parent home. Having been his reading teacher the previous year for second grade, I was a bit surprised that his other teacher had recommended that he be in a gifted/talented class for third grade. How wrong I would be!
He started out the year as I had remembered him in second grade—missing assignments and homework. By the second grading period, his average was barely a 70. In class, however, something stuck out about him consistently. During discussions he would always be the first to raise his hand to answer a question. When I would call on him, he would resist and say things like, "No, forget it; I don’t know," or "Never mind; ask someone else." I would coax the answer out of him and he was always right!
I realized that he was very capable but was severely lacking in self-confidence. I had discussions with him about putting trust in himself and not fighting his reflex to raise his hand. Soon his demeanor changed. By spring, Elias's grades and confidence were soaring. They reached an all-time high when he told me he wanted to try out for the school talent show. Elias said that he wanted to sing a song by Ricky Martin.
I was speechless. I was so afraid that any snigger would break his fragile confidence, which we had worked so hard to build up. On the day of the talent show, he got up on stage in front of 500 people and stole the show.
By the end of the year, he was unstoppable. He took the TAAS for the first time in English and received "Academic Recognition" in both reading and math! He inspired me to be always on the lookout for pearls like him who just need help being pulled from their shells.
A CFISD teacher is a positive role model who displays the values and norms defined by good citizenship as well as the personal qualities frequently associated with effective, productive lives—trustworthy, responsible, persistent, optimistic, and respectful of self and others.
In my 21 years as a classroom teacher, many people have influenced my teaching style and have been role models for me—fellow teachers, administrators, students, and my own children. Teaching is a continuous learning experience!
My colleagues provide daily support and a wealth of knowledge from which to learn. With our planning and sharing of ideas, we are constantly learning and adapting in order to provide rich and challenging activities to meet ever-changing goals. We also share a sense of humor that keeps stress and demands in perspective and makes teaching and learning fun!
I have also been fortunate to work with very caring and supportive principals and AP’s. They have provided support for me not only in the classroom, but also in personal endeavors and life changes. They have mentored me as a "whole teacher," just as I strive to teach the "whole child"! They have had (and still have) a big impact on the teacher I am today!
My students also teach me important lessons. As important as curriculum objectives, strategies, skills, and assessments are, my students help me to keep a balance between "book knowledge" and individual needs and feelings. By listening to them, I learn patience, compassion and honesty.
The best of lesson plans may have to be put on hold to deal with situations ranging from losing a tooth to listening to a personal story or comment. My students constantly "teach" me that people’s individual differences are important and that everyone has something to contribute! My six-year-old students remind me to "stop and smell the roses."
Last, but not least, I owe much credit to my own children. They have shown me the perspective of "the other side." I become the "parent" during their parent conferences. My children take on the form of my students in "challenging" situations. I have learned to treat students as I would want other teachers to treat my children. They keep things in perspective for me. Because I see and appreciate the differences between my own children, they have taught me to appreciate the differences among my students at school!
While reflecting on my professional accomplishments, I realize that my role models—my colleagues, administrators, students, and my own children—have molded me into the teacher I am today. They are my mentors and my friends!
I am fortunate to have been exposed to positive role models throughout my life. Although, in my early years, I did not realize that they were "role models" as such, but, as I grew older, I came to realize that my parents, my teachers, my minister, and my friends were positive influences who possessed qualities I admired and tried to emulate.
As I grew older, my parents instilled high morals and strong values within me. They always told me that one’s actions reflect one’s character. They also taught me that honesty, responsibility, good citizenship, and respect for others and self are evidence of good character. "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you" is a tenet that I try to live by. My parents’ influence has contributed greatly to my success.
As an educator, I feel that I have a responsibility to my students to impart to them the same values and principles that were instilled in me, because I could be the one person to influence them in a positive way. It is crucial to the success of my students that I convey these values to them on a daily basis. Additionally, I have tried to provide a classroom environment where my students feel comfortable in the knowledge that they will be treated fairly and with respect. In fact, one of my classroom rules is "Give Respect…Earn Respect." I know that it is necessary that I set the example for my students to follow; therefore, I try always to treat my students, parents, and colleagues with respect.
I strongly believe that student learning is not limited to the textbook. Learning must be relative to real-world situations. During "Family Bulldog Time" in my class, students are engaged in discussions, modeling, role-playing, and writing activities, all of which reflect real-world scenarios that involve making the right choices. I am hopeful that these experiences will serve as their blueprint for successful behavior in everyday life.
Once upon a time in a small town in Texas, a little girl loved school. When she entered kindergarten, she could not wait to play with the toy stove and kitchen set with all the pots and pans and play food. She looked forward to running through the green field of clover on the playground as she raced toward the monkey bars to be the first one to the top. After recess, the children would take their daily nap on their mats, but she would always have one eye open watching her teacher, Mrs. Morrow, busily at work at her desk organizing the classroom learning materials.
As the young girl passed on to first grade, she admired Mrs. Epps’ artistic ability to draw on the chalkboard with colored chalk, "Timothy Toothbrush" and "Betsy Brush" for the class’s health lesson. She loved reading from the small basal readers about the adventures of Dick and Jane and their dog, Spot.
Entering into second grade, the little girl encountered a different experience. I guess her class was too talkative one day, and Mrs. Carroll made all the students copy from the blackboard, as she wrote, the history of Abraham Lincoln. They had to turn their small desks back and forth, from the front board to the back board, as they continued to write about Old Abe. The little girl did not think Honest Abe would be too happy about this injustice. One positive memory the little girl did have about her teacher in second grade was that Mrs. Carroll allowed her to bring four live crawfish in a bucket for "Show and Tell."
Third grade brought about some reassuring feelings when Mrs. Goddard stayed after school to help the little girl, who had been ill for 3 weeks, make up work. She remembers the teacher sitting at the small table in the classroom encouraging her with soft and kind words that she would get all of her work completed. Recess in third grade was a time for "double Dutch" jump-roping and hopscotch.
Moving on to fourth grade was a time of riding bikes with friends to a new campus, which was next to the junior high school. Memories of fourth grade with Miss Hayslip meant coming into the classroom after running at full-speed during recess or after playing "Pigs in a Blanket," a favorite jacks game. The kids would be hot and sweaty, and Miss Hayslip would have the huge floor fan buzzing on high when they walked into the room. Miss Hayslip would read Nancy Drew mystery books and adventures from the Hardy Boys series every day after recess. This was the little girl’s favorite part of the day because she could drift away into the world of imagination.
The little girl eagerly researched Japan in Mrs. Antill’s fifth-grade class and made a Japanese picture out of small, colored stones glued onto a piece of plywood. She remembers feeling so proud of herself when Mrs. Antill complimented her on her Iowa Basic Skills test scores.
The last grade in elementary for the little girl was Mrs. Nance’s sixth-grade class. Memories of researching and writing reports about all the planets, drawing pictures, and making a booklet gave her a sense of accomplishment. Another great memory with Mrs. Nance took place on the last Friday of every month. Mrs. Nance would allow the class to go outside and play softball the last two hours of the day. She would bring bottled Cokes and every color of divinity candy you could imagine. All the kids in the class would say, "Here comes the divinity again!" The divinity was as sweet as Mrs. Nance’s heart.
It was that sixth-grade year, as all the kids rode their bikes home, stopping at the ice cream stand across the street from the school, that the little girl decided to become a teacher. She bought her favorite ice cream bar, a Dreamsicle, and began dreaming of her future.
Isn’t it amazing how little actions, comments, and activities remain in your memory for so many, many years? Little did these teachers know what an everlasting effect their actions would have on me. I had never forgotten all of these memories of elementary school, but it was not until my own children started school that I really understood just how important the actions of a teacher are to a child.
As my children got excited about their teacher’s positive notes, encouraging words, classroom humor, and challenging lessons, I realized that I also made an impact on the success, self-esteem, and happiness of my students. I was on the other side of the desk now, and it was up to me to be a positive role model through my actions and words.
During the busy days of teaching all the skills in our curriculum, I find that an adage continues to run through my mind:
"Don’t forget to stop and smell the roses."
I often ask myself, "What will my students remember about me?"
As teachers, our "once upon a time" experiences have followed us through our lives. It is our responsibility, as educators, to nurture our students in life skills and to encourage and expect them to climb to the tops of their academic mountains—even if, at first, it means running through the field of clover and climbing to the top of the monkey bars with confident smiles on their faces.
What is a positive role model? A positive role model is a person who makes a major impact on another person’s life. It may be a friend, a co-worker, a pastor, or even a sports star. Fortunately, I was blessed with having two positive role models in my life, my parents.
I can remember going through my school career and always having their support in any of my endeavors. Whether it was at one of my basketball games or just bringing home a paper that I had colored in first grade, they were always there celebrating my successes. My parents always had something nice to say and always gave me encouraging words to live by.
One of the most influential statements that they ever told me still rings in my head today. I can remember them saying time and time again, "You can achieve anything if you put your mind to it."
Being a positive role model is the largest influence that I have on my students. Oftentimes they enter my class having had months (and sometimes years) of unsuccessful school experiences. It is my role, I feel, to provide for them a safe, loving environment so that they will succeed. I greet them each morning with a smile, a handshake, and a hug. I celebrate their successes, whether large or small. I encourage them through their toughest struggles, and I teach them that they can achieve anything if they put their minds to it.
Her pearly-white hands held mine, though my hands were rough and had dirt-filled fingernails. She knew I picked cantaloupes on Saturday mornings and couldn’t turn in my homework. Sister Ignatia was a small, Irish nun who had come to teach high school at our public school. She didn’t accept low academic scores, no matter what. Sometimes her lack of pity made me dislike her. Still, she didn’t budge.
For the first time in my life, I had expectations beyond what I thought possible. The poverty in which I lived, and the low expectations of others, had led me to believe that a high school education was enough. Slowly and eloquently, she taught me about breaking the cycle of low expectations.
Persistently, she guided me through college applications. She enticed me with stories of places I’d visit, people I’d meet, and contributions I’d make. She talked about bilingual education, and how, in the future, children like me would learn in their own language. It all seemed so possible and exciting, and I believed her.
I have taught in bilingual classrooms for over 20 years. I have heard the same excuses Sister Ignatia heard from me. I, too, dismiss them no matter how hard it seems for those students. I, too, talk about when they will go to college, the contributions they will make, and the places they will see. I have followed her leadership and example. I make home visits to my students, join their family celebrations, mourn their losses, and continue to check their progress long after they’ve left my class.
For as many years as I can remember, I have heard the Dorothy Law Nolte quotation, "Children learn what they live."
A positive role model creates an environment that promotes positive actions as an outcome. This result is accomplished through actions—not just with words. Anyone can be a positive role model, but teachers have the rare opportunity to do so for many years of a student’s life.
We need to model for our students their importance to society. I always tell my students that they are expected to give back to society and that they cannot do this without acquiring an education. A positive role model speaks with uplifting and inspiring words that come from the heart and not from a textbook. A positive role model recognizes the individuality of each student and teaches the student with the assumption that every student can learn and wants to learn. The positive role model comes to class prepared for the lesson and challenges of the day, just as she expects her students to do.
Teachers have an incredible responsibility and challenge to create an atmosphere of simultaneous control and freedom—control that develops the discipline to press on toward the learning goal, and freedom that allows the style and expression that each student needs to approach the learning.
Teachers have the most awesome task of guiding and motivating each student. Positive role models never get tired of doing a good thing, and they demonstrate this diligence in all that they do.
As a teacher, I try to instill in my students those values and principles that had such a positive impact on me as a child—honesty, integrity, responsibility, trustworthiness, self-respect, respect for others, and a burning desire for knowledge. My life was shaped and molded by my parents, who were both educators. They made learning an adventure and a happy experience for all of their students. Their morals, ethics, personalities, and character demanded respect and admiration from their students, co-workers, and the community. They loved teaching and sought to make learning fun and interesting by using innovative ideas and activities. They were successful because they cared about their students.
Like my parents, I believe that all students can learn. If a student is having difficulty during the learning process, teachers should challenge themselves to find methods that work, realizing that each student is an individual with unique personality traits. I marvel that my mother still hears from former students—long after they have families of their own—who are successful entrepreneurs, college professors, or renowned scientists. They recite anecdotes and stories about their adventures in her classroom, and they let her know that her teaching made a difference. One of the greatest rewards for me as a teacher is to hear from former students about the impact that I have had on their lives.
As a teacher, I feel that it is important to be a lifelong learner. I strongly believe that education is a tool by which we improve our lives, and we should realize that there will always be more to learn. Values and principles instilled in me by my parents influenced my philosophy of teaching. I call it the "recipe for positive role models."
When I think back in my life to the teachers who have made the biggest impact on me, several common traits come to mind. Most importantly, they believed in me. At times, they even saw some of my strengths before I did. One of my high school English teachers, Mrs. Mueller, especially had a gift for inspiring me. She provided me with many opportunities to grow and at the same time was there to guide and encourage me. My memorable teachers also treated students with fairness and respect. They really loved what they were doing, and their energy was transferred to the students.
As I work with my students each day, I try to be their cheerleader—letting them know that I believe in them, encouraging each of them to see different solutions, guiding them to think things through, and treating them in a respectful manner. I attempt to spread my enthusiasm about math and to show them that it can be fun and applicable to real life. I greet them with a smile and strive to create in them that special feeling that Mrs. Mueller could always spark in me—the feeling inside that says, "I am special! I can do it!"
I relate ideas and stories about myself so that they can get to know me. I share pictures and anecdotes about my family because my husband and my sons are a big part of who I am. Building a sincere and positive relationship with someone is a powerful tool. As Elizabeth Andrew once wrote, "Good teaching comes not from behind the desk, but from behind the heart."
Regardless of how one is physically active (ballet, dance, hockey, skate boarding, step aerobics, walking, etc.), maintaining fitness is a key element to a productive life. It is my job as a physical education teacher to model and teach to students the value of finding an exercise they enjoy to help promote a healthful lifestyle.
If a student can find exercise fun and enjoyable, I truly believe that the rising rate of obesity among children can slow its progress. Through my teaching of traditional and nontraditional activities, I can provide students with opportunities to explore different ways of staying fit, and—I hope—to find an activity they enjoy.
In the classroom I offer a variety of traditional exercises (such as team sports) along with individual fitness tips. Likewise, nontraditional areas, such as the ROPES program, can provide just as much benefit. I love being involved in ROPES because it allows me to model and teach alternate forms of fitness, such as the climbing wall, that would otherwise not be available. By allowing my students to explore a variety of activities, I hope that they can understand the importance of finding an activity they enjoy. You’ve got to get fit, where you fit in!
This honor is a tribute to my friends and heroes. My very first day of teaching was my most frightening. Second-grade students streamed into my room, sat down, and looked up at me, waiting for their teacher’s first words of wisdom. I can only remember the silence I had to offer.
I became terrified. My only thoughts were, "Oh, no! I’m in charge now!" and "If you don’t learn how to read, write, add, or think, it’s going to be all my fault—I could ruin the rest of your life without even trying!" As those first thoughts still linger, I resolve my panic by reflecting on the friends and heroes who have profoundly influenced my life:
Not realizing what I was doing, I started to try to emulate them, and I still do. While unpretentious academically, they paved my path for celebrating differences, honoring multiple intelligences, listening, collegiality, and forming solid foundations. I agree with Godspell’s Stephen Schwartz that "We Can Build a Beautiful City."
I have known since early in my youth that I wanted to spend my life serving others and helping people to become happy and successful in their endeavors. When I realized that it was through teaching that I could fulfill my life’s mission, I was a sophomore in high school.
Although I had the opportunity to experience many great teachers during my high school and college education, one teacher in particular sincerely touched my life and demonstrated the attributes of an excellent teacher. This very significant person was my sophomore English teacher, Mrs. Cindy Sax. Mrs. Sax, beyond doubt, deserves to receive recognition for all of the kindness, patience, dedication, and love she consistently demonstrated to all of her students.
I am forever grateful to this spectacular teacher for her devotion and for the numerous hours she unselfishly spent after school offering her assistance and encouragement to students who were struggling to improve their writing skills. I truly believe my fond memories of my relationship with this successful teacher have helped me set goals for success in my own career. The catalyst that opened my mind and heart to the realization that I wanted to spend my life teaching and encouraging students was my experience with this important role model, mentor, and teacher. I, too, wanted to teach with the same loving kindness that she had imparted to me.
After 17 years in education, I still feel a strong determination to touch the hearts and minds of my students, help them accomplish their dreams, and help them develop the skills necessary to become capable and responsible citizens of an ever-changing, diverse society.
During my teaching profession, one success story in particular stands out above the rest because the story portrays a student who is still alive today and is continuing to strive for improvements in his personal and professional life despite many obstacles.
When John entered my class as a struggling seventh grader, he was already severely addicted to drugs and alcohol, and he, unfortunately, had decided that his life was not worth living. Throughout the first year I was involved in his life, he threatened suicide several times, and there were numerous referrals to the counselor. During this same year, I received a call at school that my grandfather had passed away.
I happened to run into John in the hallway as he was returning from one of his counselor visits. Both of us were in an extremely emotional state, but this encounter offered an opportunity for us to share a very honest, heart-to-heart conversation about how precious life is and how devastated I would be if he