Jane Robertson
Arizona Teacher of the Year
Abia Judd Elementary School, Prescott, AZ
Grades 1 & 2, all subjects

My teaching philosophy
My philosophy of teaching has been stripped over the years of any extraneous phrases and can be defined in this way: I believe that to the very best of my ability, it is my purpose to develop a keenness of mind and a kindness of heart in each child.

My philosophy in action
My challenge is to provide the best possible environment for learning – one in which experiences are powerful, thinking is reflective and analytical, actions and movements are used to enhance learning, and emotions open the door to better learning and performance. Few students become enthusiastic followers of a teacher whose sole method of teaching consists of lectures and worksheets. I believe my focus needs to always be on student learning and making my classroom a place that maximizes learning opportunities by acting on brain-research findings.

My greatest teaching accomplishment
My greatest teaching accomplishment was probably a visit from a former student who was attending Northern Arizona University. She had decided to pursue a degree in elementary education because she "wanted to go back to first grade." That comment confirmed my belief in what I do. My other rewards in teaching come quietly in the smile of a painfully shy child or more openly in the compliments of a colleague or administrator. My rewards are twenty-four little people who call me "teacher" and feel safe, secure and happy in my classroom.

The most critical issue facing educators today
There is an issue in public education today that is of such importance that to neglect its implications in our classrooms is to neglect our children. That issue is brain research. The brains of both children and adults are plastic and resilient, and always eager to learn. Experiences, thoughts, actions and emotions actually change the structure of our brains. As a teacher, the implication that my teaching can cause a child's brain to physically grow takes my breath away!

My ideas for resolving this issue
A sterile, boring environment results in significantly less growth of a child's brain. Our job as teachers is to choose types of input that will produce the greatest physiological change in the brain. The answers are not mysterious or complicated. We need to reduce low-sensory input materials and processes, such as worksheets and working in isolation. We need to provide large amounts of sensory input from "being there" experiences in the real world. My hope for public education is that we can create learning communities that are dynamic environments for teaching and learning that successfully nurture responsible citizens.

One thought to inspire teachers
We need to constantly remind ourselves that we do not exist in anonymity. Someone chooses each one of us as a role model. And it is quite possible we will never know which student chooses us to emulate. But, somehow, we gave that child a light to follow; we set the high standards; we expected achievement and keenness of mind as well as kindness of heart. There is something that every teacher has to give and, in that understanding, we need to remember our passion and attempt to be that role model every day. Today might be the day that someone chooses me. I am a teacher.

One lesson every student should learn
Students need to learn that academic achievement must walk hand in hand with an admirable character.

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