Kathy Rank
Ohio Teacher of the Year
Bennett Intermediate School, Piqua, OH
Grade 4, Language Arts and Math

My teaching philosophy
I believe that all students can and will learn. My job is to teach and inspire students to become the best they can be. I strive to instill the joy of learning in order to challenge students to become lifelong learners.

My philosophy in action
My classroom is a reflection of my beliefs about learning. As a teacher, I know my students will not learn in the same way or even on the same day, but I know that when I do my job, all students will learn. I strive to utilize a hands-on approach that makes learning both productive and enjoyable. Most students learn best when they can visualize the concept being taught so I begin most lessons with objects that can be touched, moved, or explored in some way. I believe teachers should have high expectations for every student they encounter but even higher expectations for themselves. Teachers must never stop learning and teaching others what they learn.

My greatest teaching accomplishment
The grants I’ve written and received in order to put technology and programs in our school so our students have the opportunity to expand their thinking.

Also, the letter I received from a former student thanking me for continually insisting he was smart when he didn't believe in himself.

The most critical issues facing educators today
Assessment is a critical component of teaching and learning, but assessment is more than giving a test. Students should be evaluated throughout the school year with many different instruments. Teachers must use this data to drive instruction.

Ways to resolve this issue
Teachers must present themselves as professionals who know what is best for individual learners. It is our job to speak up and let lawmakers know that we have the knowledge necessary to determine if our students are learning. Teachers must analyze what students know and can do but each teacher also needs to know how the student learns best. It is a teacher's responsibility to supply the environment to maximize learning potential for each student. Teachers must continually assess what students know. This takes place through conversation, writing samples, tests, and anecdotal records as students are working, or even through the drawings completed at the semi-concrete level. Teachers should continually gather information from students and use this data to drive instruction. This data should be shared with the public so they might begin to understand why teachers should be in a position to make educational policy.

One thought to inspire teachers to succeed
If you limit your choices to what seems possible or reasonable, you disconnect yourself from what you truly want, and all that is left is a compromise. (Robert Fritz)

One lesson every student should learn
Every human is a product of his environment but this is not to be used as an excuse for mediocrity. Each student must be taught to rise above the situation and learn to excel in order to better himself and become a productive citizen of society. Each one of us is ultimately responsible for our own behaviors, successes and failures.

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