2002 Oregon Teacher of the Year
Ms. White teaches Math and Reading to students in grades one through three at Lyle Elementary School in Dallas, Oregon. She has been teaching for twenty-two years.

What are your beliefs about teaching?
"I believe that every learner is unique and has the capability to learn. It is the teacher's responsibility to learn as much about the student as possible to find his strengths, to build on the strengths and use whatever learning activities, styles, etc. are most effective with that student."

How are your beliefs incorporated in your teaching style?
"I really get to know my students through assessments and observation. I learn as much as I can about teaching and then select and try what I think will work based on individual student needs."

What is your greatest teaching accomplishment?
"My greatest teaching accomplishment is the number of students that I've made into lifelong, capable readers and mathematicians."

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 learning to manage the diversity of the students in their classrooms. It's important for teachers to recognize their responsibility in educating themselves about the cultural and environmental differences among their students. They can do this by collaborating with each other, parents and the community. We need to utilize whatever we can to make each child be the best he can be."

Inspirational thought:
"You may think you don't make a difference but this may be a critical moment in a student's life. If you don't make a difference, maybe no one will."