Robert S.J. Hu
Hawaii Teacher of the Year
Mililani High School, Mililani, HI
Grades 9-12, American Civics, Ethnic Studies

My teaching philosophy
All children can learn. And patience must be exercised when working with children. Show them that you care and love them.

My philosophy in action
Teaching is a special calling. I try to reach my students in whatever way they can learn best. I give them many opportunities to learn and grow. My students know that what they do affects others. I teach them to make positive contributions to the world.

My greatest teaching accomplishment
Having created the Ohana Project, or community service projects wherein my students learn to care for others in the school, state, and world. We should all strive to make this world a better place for everyone.

The most critical issue facing educators today
We must be able to attract and keep qualified teachers in the classroom. The teacher shortage is critical and growing. The problem needs to be addressed immediately.

Ways to resolve this issue
All stakeholders in public education must do their part to ensure that teachers get professional wages and benefits. For the work they do, teachers are underpaid and unappreciated. Society needs to pay teachers adequately so they can support their own families. Society must teach students to show respect to educators as well. The public should be able to donate 5 percent of their salary to public education and this should be tax deductible. Also, all educators should receive a US$10,000 tax credit annually because of their professional commitment to public education. Bottom line, the preservation of our democracy rests on how well we educate our children. How can we continue to be the world leader otherwise?

One thought to inspire other teachers to succeed
Love your children and do the very best for them. They in turn will love the world because of your example.

One lesson every student should learn
You are responsible for your own learning. The choices you make today will ultimately affect your future career.

Back to the 2004 Teacher Profiles home page