Paul M. Cuicchi
2003 Mississippi Teacher of the Year
Mr. Cuicchi currently teaches Physics to students in grades eleven and twelve at Starkville High School in Starkville, Mississippi. He has been teaching for twenty-six years.

What are your beliefs about teaching?
"I am convinced that students learn best when actively engaged in a hands-on activity that reinforces the topics being studied or that provide a vehicle for discovering new information. Teaching is a source of boundless joy and satisfaction to me. I truly love teaching to high school students."

How are your beliefs incorporated in your teaching style?
"Students conduct twenty-three laboratory exercises in SHS Physics. Instead of reading and studying projectiles, they are launching them successfully into targets. This particular activity and other problem-based teaching activities have been the hallmark of my teaching style from my first day of teaching to the present."

What is your greatest teaching accomplishment?
"I feel that my greatest accomplishment is that I have built a physics program at SHS where approximately fifty percent of graduating seniors enroll in high school physics. I now teach six classes per day. This is a dramatic increase from the single call of fifteen students that I taught in my first year. The number of minority and female students has also increased to record levels. The Physics course at SHS is challenging and yet doable to many students."

What's the most critical issue facing educators?
"Vouchers are the most significant problem facing public schools today. The loss of public and monetary support that would result would have a devastating effect on public schools. Public schools make an egalitarian effort to educate all students regardless of ability, handicaps or socio-economic status. We need continued unwavering support for public schools."

What do you think can be done to solve this issue?
"The answer to the issue of vouchers is that all stakeholders shoulder their share of the responsibility for educating young people. This includes teachers, students, parents, administrators, legislators and religious leaders. Teachers must work hard to ensure that all children receive the best preparation possible. Perhaps this would best be manifested in each educator answering the question ‘Would I prefer that my child attend this school?’"

One thought to inspire teachers to excel
"Education was once defined by a fourth grade student as the big chance. The challenge to each teacher is to ensure that each child is afforded the big chance. What an awesome challenge and responsibility!"

One lesson every student should learn
"The one lesson that all children should learn is that education is indeed the big chance, and that it is their responsibility to take full advantage of that chance by taking responsibility for their own behavior and learning."

Favorite Teaching Tool:
"My favorite teaching tools are a PASCO projectile launcher and an old record player turntable that can be used to teach projectiles in depth. The record player can be used as a thinking man’s timing device for freely-falling objects."

Favorite Web site:
www.mde.k12.ms.us – Mississippi Department of Education
www.stampsinclass.com – Micro Controller Education Resources