2001 Kansas Teacher of the Year
Ms. Lewandowski teaches all subjects to the grades five and six students at USD #266 Maize Schools in Maize, Kansas. She has been teaching for fifteen years.

What are your beliefs about teaching and how do you incorporate these beliefs into your teaching style?
"My belief is that we are not teaching a child just for one year, we are teaching a child for a lifetime. There are five core tenets of my teaching philosophy. The first is that I believe each child is unique. The second tenet is that I believe teachers need to provide a safe, risk-free environment. Tenet number three is that I believe education is a triangle (home, school, child) where all sides must support one another to ensure success. My fourth tenet is that I have a belief in mastery teaching. Lastly, I believe students must believe in themselves. These tenets are easy to understand, but it takes a great deal of hard work, time and commitment to make them happen. I am willing to invest the effort because of the phenomenal results that occur."

What is your greatest teaching accomplishment?
"Getting students to believe in themselves and reach their potential is one of my greatest accomplishments as a teacher."

What's the most critical issue facing educators today and what do you think can be done to resolve this issue?
"The most critical issue facing educators today is school safety. One way our schools can reduce the amount of violence in schools is to teach about diversity. If students can learn true tolerance of others then violence would be greatly reduced."

Inspirational thought:
"Each child is an individual…special and unique, to be cherished, valued and loved."