Jane Meade
Virgin Islands Teacher of the Year
John H. Woodson Junior High, Kings Hill, St. Croix
Kindergarten to Grade 7, Elementary and Grade 7 Science

My teaching philosophy
I am convinced that teaching is the most rewarding profession. As such, I am extremely passionate about the profession and think it is crucial that teachers understand the role we play in shaping society’s future. Teachers must truly love children and be strong advocates for them. We must understand our motivation in this profession. To create the most effective learning environment, teachers must be intelligent, competent, creative, inquisitive, and accessible change agents who constantly review all factors that impact the learning process. A teacher must be a life-long learner who accepts challenges willingly and exhibits unwavering determination to see students succeed. I see my role as teacher and educator as vital in our society today, so I strive daily to make a difference in the lives of the students I teach. I believe I can make a difference because I care for my students, and I will do whatever it takes to see them succeed. My role is ever-changing; sometimes I am a strict disciplinarian or a counselor, an advocate, or even a mother. At the beginning of my career over twenty - four years ago, I saw my role as the person who had the information to give to my students who were willing to receive it. Over the years, I have changed this mindset drastically as I interact with my students. I have since realized that the children must be central to the learning process and that everything else-- teacher, methods, resources-- are secondary in creating an engaged learning environment. This philosophy allows me to be a facilitator of the learning process.

My philosophy in action
My personal teaching style is that of a facilitator who guides students through the learning process as they attempt to make meaning for themselves. In this environment, teaching mirrors learning and both are dynamic activities that require the learner and facilitator to be actively engaged. I strongly believe in setting the stage for any new material that the students have to learn. Therefore, I spend a considerable amount of time in motivational activities for my lessons. Building background knowledge is crucial when I am dealing with students who are reading two or three grades below the seventh grade. I believe in teaching for understanding. Therefore, I model and ask my students to use meta-cognitive strategies as they think aloud in the class. Assessment plays a major role in my classroom because it gives the student and me valuable information about the learning process. I constantly use formal and informal ways to assess the students and have them assess each other. As a facilitator, I evaluate how motivation, my teaching strategies, grouping and assessment practices impact the learning environment. I use rubrics constantly in my classroom. I believe strongly in building community in the classroom, where groups of students work together for a marking period. Each group chooses a name, and group members must work together to complete different tasks.

The teacher must be a life-long learner. Most of the knowledge and techniques that I have gathered over the years are the result of attending numerous professional development workshops, reading many professional journals, and mostly being an active member of a teaching staff. I believe in striving for excellence.

My greatest teaching accomplishment
My greatest contribution to the profession is the daily “modeling” I provide to my students, colleagues, parents and the community at large. I diligently and consistently strive to be knowledgeable of developments in my field-Science, to hone my pedagogical skills to facilitate the delivery of this knowledge in order to meet the needs of my students, to use assessment to guide instruction and improve students’ performance, and to use my role to ensure that the school meets the needs of every child. I create an environment in the classroom where learning and teaching are maximized. In this environment, teaching and learning both merge into one. Many teachers and administrators have commented that they can never find me when they enter my classroom because I am always at the level of the students while they work in their groups. In this setting, I become a facilitator and a learner, and many times my students become the teachers.

I am passionate about education and the role it plays in our students’ lives. Therefore, I am always prepared to utilize teaching methods that have proven successful. As a Science teacher, I know the power of Science Fairs. This activity not only builds the content and process skills of my students but also raises their self- esteem. Many of my students are productive individuals today because of the rigorous preparation they had to undertake for Science Fairs. One of my students eventually won the District and Territorial Science Fair.

In 1995, the concept of schools for talent development was new to the St. Croix district. After being trained at “Confratute” at the University of Connecticut, I returned to Alfredo Andrews, and facilitated the “Enrichment Clusters.” This school wide activity allowed students to identify areas of interest and to choose a career cluster they wanted to pursue.

Ultimately, my contribution to this profession is manifested when scores of students return with comments on how well I have prepared them, when administrators and faculty members are always willing to be a part of my team, and when parents and community volunteers show a willingness to work with me as we strive to improve students’ performance.

The most critical issues facing educators today
The major public education issues today arise from the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), which seeks to improve the academic performance of every child. I support the underlying principle of the law which includes high standards for all children, appropriate testing to measure achievements, desegregation of students’ achievement data, highly qualified teachers and paraprofessionals, and extra support for schools performing below proficiency levels.

The Act requires each teacher to be “highly qualified” or to have complied with certification standards. However, a highly qualified teacher may not necessarily be an effective teacher. Higher qualification does not guarantee improvement in students’ performance. Based on the NCLB Act, many teachers I consider effective practitioners, those whose students love school and perform at high standards, are labeled as not “highly qualified.” Others have met certification standards, are classified as “highly qualified,” but exhibit poor professional attitudes that result in soaring failure rates among students.

Most teachers will attest that the single most important factor that influences student achievement is the quality of teaching they receive. As educators in the classroom we know that what we do affects student achievement. Therefore, we are in a position to directly create a learning environment in the classroom that fosters students’ achievement. Improving teacher quality is a task that requires commitment from teachers, school districts, schools of education and the federal government.

Ways to resolve this issue
In order to improve teacher quality and have “a highly qualified” teacher in each class, we must look at what they are doing to improve the teaching skills of pre-service, in-service and practicing teachers. The schools of education must play a more vital role in recruiting, training and mentoring pre-service and in-service teachers. One semester (eight weeks) of student teaching will certainly not give a new teacher the skills to manage a classroom and help students. They must do more. Initiative such as Professional Development Schools and Teachers for a New Era – Teaching as a Clinical Profession are two programs that provide for constant mentoring and coaching of new teachers.

Veteran teachers must also have access to professional development that helps them meet the “highly qualified” ranking of the NCLB Act. Veteran teachers should realize that “ownership is essential to improvement.” We are the only ones that can improve our skills. It is imperative that we embrace the new research on learning and teaching so that we can have a positive impact on students’ performance. We need to be honest about whether or not we have the necessary knowledge and skills to reach today’s children. Attending professional development activities or being a part of study groups and learning communities will help us to learn from others, especially the new teachers. Initiatives such as the Education Alliance Literacy Collaboratory, on the job training for content area teachers in literacy, are effective endeavors for us to assist new and veteran teachers to directly impact students’ achievement. Participating in these programs will help us to improve the quality of our teaching, which directly impacts student achievement.

One thought to inspire teachers to succeed
We are education’s best advocates and our lives must be a daily reflection of this. What we do to inspire, motivate and teach our students everyday are the lessons that they will learn for life.

One lesson every student should learn
Students must learn to evaluate their effort and make the connection between effort and success. Also, our students must learn that excellent grades are the result of diligence and good study habits. They must realize that a good grade on the big exam is the result of what they do on the little assignments.

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