Eric Burrows
California Teacher of the Year
San Marcos High School School, Santa Barbara, CA
Grades 10-12, AP US and European History

My teaching philosophy
Students both love and need to be challenged. If provided with a challenge and given the means to succeed, they will. The resulting self-esteem and confidence will provide for the student's success in all other activities in life. Of course, the learning styles must reflect all the different ways that we learn. These learning styles also correspond to the different disciplines that make history come alive. So the student engaged in creating art, or interpreting literature, or analyzing film, or listening to music, is not only learning with different intelligences, but is also engaging in the most exciting ways of learning history.

My philosophy in action
My classroom is one of constant action. Usually I present information through a Socratic dialogue - with me challenging the students to demonstrate the knowledge they have gained. The students in my classroom must be able to express an opinion on the issues facing our nation throughout its history, and be able to support that opinion with a vast amount of substantive knowledge. The gathering of that knowledge comes through the multi-disciplinary approaches mentioned above. My classroom is filled with students succeeding at expressing themselves on important issues of their citizenship.

My greatest teaching accomplishment
The shy Latino girl who had never taken an Advanced Placement course before not only enrolls in my class, but also dominates it, scoring higher than any student in the history of the class. Opportunity, challenge, success.

The most critical issues facing educators today
Aside from not being paid enough, the most critical challenge of educators is combating the attitude of our society that learning is not fun and energizing and worthwhile. Despite the interest in higher test scores and holding schools accountable, our society values learning very little. Celebrity, materialism, self-interest, and consumption dominate our culture. It would be so much easier if we could teach in a culture that valued learning, and valued the people who provide the opportunity to for our children to learn. That society of course would pay its teachers twice the current salary as well.

Ways to resolve this issue
The classrooms need to be opened up for the community to see just how dynamic and worthwhile the education our children receive. The more we celebrate just how well we teach, and how well our children learn, the easier it will be for society to value that process. To rearrange the value system of our nation will require more than education system can offer, but we must begin the process by proclaiming ourselves, our profession, our institutions, and our students to be the most important thing in our society.

One thought to inspire teachers to succeed
GYou are doing a fantastic job - your rewards may be miniscule, but they are worthwhile. The child who learns in your class today will change the world tomorrow because of you.

One lesson every student should learn
That he or she has an opinion and that it is important. If thoughtful and supported, that opinion becomes the most important thing in the world. Learn to express it and develop it and use it.

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