Cynda Fickert
Alabama Teacher of the Year
Auburn Junior High School, Auburn, AL
Eighth grade, Mathematics

My teaching philosophy
Teachers must differentiate instruction to accommodate multiple learning styles and engage students in the learning process. Students actively involved in the learning process retain more information and more readily apply that information in a variety of situations. All students can learn, but not all students learn at the same rate or in the same manner. These beliefs lead me to constantly seek innovative, research-based teaching methods as I help all students reach their full potential.

My philosophy in action
What do soldering, sand, and greenhouses have to do with my philosophy? I have created activities using all of these to help liven up the pre-algebra curriculum. Students soldered electrical boards after a discussion of the proportion of tin and lead in the solder. Then they soldered stained-glass kits during a geometry unit to study surface area, perimeter, and interior angels. I designed an activity to measure the shear strength of bass wood sticks by suspending a bucket from the sticks and adding sand until the stick breaks. Students repeated the process, adding a stick each time, creating a line plot showing the increase in strength relative to the number of sticks. Currently, we are in the process of setting up greenhouses to measure the effect of fertilizers on sunflower growth rates. These activities, and many others, involve my students in the learning process and help them connect content with the real world.

My greatest teaching accomplishment
Thus far in my career, my greatest accomplishments have been through the rapport I have developed with my students. I work diligently to establish a relationship with my students, especially those who have struggled with mathematics in the past. Offering students passes to my class before school allows me to check homework or assist them with other subjects as needed. I know I have successfully made connections with these students when they return year after year to share success stories and to ask for help in upper-level mathematics courses.

I have also been fortunate enough to receive several grants. With the grant money, I have been able to purchase materials and supplies that empower teachers at our school to help motivate even the most at-risk students in creative, meaningful ways. For example, with a Toyota Time grant, our school now has three greenhouses for all students to use a part of an interdisciplinary unit.

The most critical issues facing educators today
The most critical issue facing education is producing, recruiting, and retaining high-quality teachers. With the profession battling an attrition rate of approximately fifty percent among new teachers, the Alliance for Excellent Education conservatively estimates that our nation spends $2.6 billion annually to replace departing teachers. To meet the demands of No Child Left Behind, schools must do more to train, nurture, and, then, keep superior teachers in the classroom.

Ways to resolve this issue
Research shows that the single, most-effective tactic for curbing teacher turnover is a high-quality mentoring or induction program for novice teachers. The Alliance for Excellent Education cites several characteristics of successful mentoring programs, including common planning times and subject areas for novices and experts, mentor training and compensation, and strict criteria for mentor selection and placement. Another resolution to the problem of teacher attrition is building a professional network that allows for collaborative decision-making and continuous teacher learning. Empowering teachers with a voice in curriculum and instruction strategies builds confidence and gives them a vested interest in their schools. Teacher preparation programs can help by inviting recent graduates to offer program-related feedback that can be used to modify and strengthen curricula and identify other methods for supporting both pre-service and in-service teachers. Finally, an increase in teacher salaries would help keep and attract teachers, especially in hard-to-staff subject areas and schools. By raising the socioeconomic status of teachers, the profession would be more competitive its pursuit of and successful retention of capable and talented teachers.

One thought to inspire teachers to succeed
You will make a difference.

One lesson every student should learn
Choice, not chance, determines ones destiny.

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