Tracy L. Hoilman
Tennessee Teacher of the Year
Unicoi County High School, Erwin, TN
Grades 9-12, English III Challenge, English IV CP, Beginning Drama, Advanced Drama

My teaching philosophy
I believe that students learn most effectively in an active, hands-on environment. They should not only be given the subject matter, but also a situation, project, or creative/critical thinking exercise that will allow them to explore the information they have obtained in new and unexpected ways.

My philosophy in action
I always try to create units that have interesting and unusual projects that will motivate students and challenge them creatively. We will cover the material in the curriculum but we’ll do it in a way that will check for comprehension and allow some additional exploration of the subject matter. For example, while teaching a unit on short stories, I felt it necessary to cover the elements of a story including such items as initial incident, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution. To be sure they knew how to recognize these elements in literature, we looked at some sample stories. Before I made the assignment that they would create their own adventure stories, we discovered examples of each element in a couple of “Twilight Zone” episodes. This activity kept the students interested as well as focused on the task. The assignment was easy to follow by even the weakest writer in the class. The final short stories they developed were organized, creative, and well written because of the time we spent leading up to the project. In the end, the students were impressed with their work, and they learned to have fun in the process.

My greatest teaching accomplishment
I think one of my greatest accomplishments is being able to watch students, who leave my classroom with new skills and talents, make successful lives for themselves in which they are truly happy and satisfied. What more of a success could you ask for than a student’s self-fulfillment?

Having recently been named a recipient of the Milken Family Foundation Educator Award for 2003 is the reward highlight of my career so far.

The most critical issue facing educators today
I think that, based on my discussions with other teachers, the issue of accountability is the most critical factor teachers are facing today.

Ways to resolve this issue
I believe that teachers should be accountable for the quality of work they perform in their classrooms, but standardized testing of the students should not be the final answer to the issue. Many outside forces, such as domestic and child abuse, homelessness, and a lack of parental supervision and concern, also affect the results of these tests. I believe more should be done to persuade parents and guardians to take active roles in their children’s education. Home life would be the most influential factor, next to the classroom.

One thought to inspire other teachers to succeed
Try the unexpected. Attempt to do what no one thinks can be done. Remember that miracles do happen. Walt Disney’s comment often made in the face of his critics was “It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.”

One lesson every student should learn
No matter what the subject, I believe every student should learn to work with others. Teamwork is vital to their futures; it will benefit them during their education, in their careers, and when they are involved in the world around them.

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