Jensi Kellogg-Andrus
South Dakota Teacher of the Year
Watertown High School, Watertown, SD
Grades 10-12, Biology

My teaching philosophy
I truly believe that all children can learn if given the support, time, and proper instruction and guidance. Educators need to deeply care about each of their students and believe they can achieve. I also believe we must develop thinkers who can survive and prosper in our rapidly changing, technical society.

My philosophy in action
To incorporate my beliefs regarding education and teaching, I identify what type of learner my students are; visual, auditory, kinesthetic, or a combination of learning styles. I believe I have a responsibility to teach children how to learn, not just to teach them my subject area. I also teach and incorporate the Habit of Mind into my lessons. These skills will help children develop the problem solving skills they need to be successful. Like Horace Mann said, "Habit is a cable; we weave a thread of it each day, and at last we cannot break it," In addition, I incorporate as much technology into my lessons as possible. We are fortunate to have laptops available to all staff and students 24 hours a day for the entire school year. Lastly, I practice what I call Cyclic Teaching. Everything we learn builds on what we learned yesterday, last week, and last month so my students constantly and consistently can apply the new material with previous concepts and skills. The new information "hooks" to their prior knowledge so they can retain and apply what they have learned.

My greatest teaching accomplishment
My greatest teaching accomplishment is building positive relationships with my students. I make them feel safe, secure, welcome, and they know I truly care about them and their future. I also model that learning is fun and rewarding. Through my attitude, actions, energy, enthusiasm, and instruction, I can teach biology, life skills, the value of character, and the importance of making good, positive choices.

The most critical issues facing educators today
The most critical issue facing educators today is literacy. Literacy does not just mean that one can decode words and read with a certain speed and accuracy. In our changing, technical world, literacy goes way beyond just being able to read. Students must be able to move to higher levels of literacy, which include comprehension of the material and further analysis and application. Also, students must be able to manage their own learning. According to current research, only 20% of high school graduates can weigh evidence, evaluate information, and make judgment. In addition, even a smaller percentage of graduates can manage his/her learning process. Teachers make the mistake of assuming their students know how to make meaning out of text and don't provide the proper modeling, strategies, and practice for them to become more proficient and move to a higher level of literacy.

Ways to resolve this issue
To resolve this literacy issue, students must be taught strategies and techniques that will help them comprehend, evaluate, and apply information in written text. Teachers must incorporate these skills at all levels and in all classes. The reading and comprehension strategies are often taught in elementary school and then ends once they can decode and read fluently. Students are often not taught how to deal with more complicated, technical text as they get older. Teachers must learn strategies that help access prior knowledge, build vocabulary, and check for understanding. Teachers cannot just assume their students have these skills. They must assess, model, and incorporate these reading strategies and practices into their daily lessons.

One thought to inspire teachers to succeed
Look at teaching as an adventure in changing lives. Everything we do as teachers in the classroom has an immediate as well as long-range effect on the students and people they come in contact with throughout their lives. Caring and believing is to key to changing lives.

One lesson every student should learn
We have a choice everyday about the attitude and enthusiasm we will bring to the day, to work, to practice, to our friends, and to our parents. Our attitude sets the stage and helps us to make either good or bad choices depending on the attitude we choose.

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