Alyson M. Mike
Montana Teacher of the Year
East Valley Middle School, East Helena, MT
Grade 8, Physical Science

My teaching philosophy
My style of teaching is based on a single philosophy - science is not a spectator sport. I strongly believe that the more the students are involved through hands-on, minds-on activities, the more they will become active learners. I feel that the role of a teacher is to provide a diverse array of mechanisms to capture the interests of all students. I use demonstrations, labs, activities, newspaper articles, videos, the Internet, reference materials, etc., to illustrate a concept. The more ways that a concept can be illustrated to students, the better chance they have of retaining the idea and applying the idea in a different situation. I encourage my students to participate in activities and labs, but at the same time I guide them to make the transition from the hands-on to the concept being taught.

My philosophy in action
I use commonly available materials as much as possible. At the middle school age, my students are just beginning to understand science concepts on a concrete level. It is imperative to make those connections with items that are familiar. It becomes my task to take the mystery out of science and replace it with an undaunted curiosity to find out more. Highly technical equipment and jargon are not the means to accomplish such understanding.

The standards are very clear in the recommendation that middle school students frequently engage in active inquiry. It is also very apparent from the standards that the focus should be on observation and descriptions on a macroscopic level to assist in the comprehension of the concepts. Using a hands-on inquiry approach with easily attainable items is the vehicle by which I address the content standards to meet the students understanding, experiences, and interests. Another part of my philosophy that contributes to my vision of exemplary teaching is the ability to teach life skills and provide an opportunity to practice using those skills. Not to diminish the importance of science, an exemplary instructor teaches skills through science that can be conveyed to any area. These life skills include problem solving, teamwork, and critical thinking. These skills can, and should be, addressed, taught, and practiced while developing the vision of an exemplary program.

I keep things varied to avoid monotony. By understanding early adolescent students, it is very evident that this age group needs to have opportunities to move and be social. By utilizing cooperative groups, students are given those opportunities. To address their social aspect, they can talk and discuss freely within their groups and within whole class discussions. By providing hands-on, guided inquiry opportunities, the students talk about the concept and have the chance to move around. They have their needs met by having the opportunity to socialize and move yet I am accomplishing my goals as a teacher by getting them to talk about the material. I judge their learning from these group activities, by their high interest level, and overall improvement in the quality of their work.

My greatest teaching accomplishment
My greatest accomplishment in education was working toward and receiving National Board Certification. The process has had a profound impact on my teaching. I now make it a point to reflect daily on my teaching as a means of understanding how it impacts the learning of my students. NBC gave me confirmation and affirmation that what I do in the classroom is what is expected of a master teacher. The NBC process sets high expectations and standards, which raises the bar for professional excellence. Striving to reach that bar, and attaining
certification, has been a great professional accomplishment. By achieving board certification, I have now been put in a position to mentor others as they begin the certification process. This enables me to make connections with other accomplished teachers, which always enhances my teaching. I am a strong advocate for national certification as it sets the tone for professionalism in education.

The most critical issue facing educators today
An issue that concerns me is the quality of teachers that are graduating from colleges and the subsequent retention of quality teachers. Education is a scapegoat of all that ails society. It should seem no surprise that the best and brightest often do not choose education because we set teachers up to fail. There is the argument that teachers are not paid as professionals,
but I believe that is another aspect to the problem that will slowly and surely be addressed if we correct the problem where it begins. The core of the problem comes in part from the quality of those individuals choosing teaching as a career.

Nearly everyone can name a good architectural school or a good medical school, but what about a good education school? The first wave of teacher reform is to raise the expectations and standards for those entering the profession. The education major should be as equally demanding as any degree. In many universities, that is not the case. Students opt to be an education major because it is an easier course of study. With this line of reasoning, education is setting itself up for scrutiny. Once the education degree is equal in stature to all others, more of the best and brightest will choose teaching, and the money to pay those individuals will be on par with the earnings in other professional areas.

A new twist that is becoming prevalent is to seek alternative routes to hiring new teachers. Individuals who switch to teaching from another career may be an attractive means of filling the gaps of educators that are prevalent in rural and urban areas, but the process by which this is being done in many states is nothing less than alarming. A four or five week course to become a teacher is not sound educational practice. It is a slap in the face to the dedicated professionals that have completed an accredited course and received a degree in education. The message being conveyed is that any reasonably intelligent person can stand in front of a classroom and teach. This is simply not logical especially with the diverse backgrounds and needs of students today.

Ways to resolve this issue
Often because of lack or experience and training these alternative route individuals quit mid-year or within the first couple of years. Instead of replacing highly qualified teachers, districts are creating a revolving door that can only compromise and shortchange the education of students. Research has shown that educators are more likely to stay and be effective teachers if they receive proper training before they enter the classroom and receive more support once employed. Again, the standards that are required in colleges and universities must be more stringent so that this misguided logic to attract new teachers through alternative routes without proper training is eliminated. The assumption that anyone can teach is a misconception that is being propagated by programs such as these.

Once the quality individuals enter the teaching profession, they must be mentored and assisted to help them become effective in the classroom. Too often, new teachers are given the worst classes, additional assignments, and are completely overwhelmed. Many have no mentors to help them through the difficulties encountered the first year. And then we act incredulous when they leave the profession at the end of the year. As educators, we must examine our practice and make changes to keep the early career teachers in the classroom through a concerted effort of encouragement, support, and professional development. Research shows that well designed induction programs can improve teacher quality and reduce the turnover. It is also a more cost-effective means to an end.

One thought to inspire other teachers to succeed
“Imagination is more important than knowledge, for knowledge is limited and imagination can encircle the world.” Albert Einstein

One lesson every student should learn
Be polite - please and thank you goes a long way.

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