Ray Williams
California Teacher of the Year
Steve Luther Elementary School, La Palma, CA
Sixth grade, Elementary Curriculum

My teaching philosophy
I teach not just subject matter but caring, honesty, responsibility and teamwork. I teach as if I were teaching my own son or daughter. I have high expectations for everyone and treat my students as part of my extended family. I've met my goal when students learn without realizing that they are learning. Teaching should not be about just reading out of a book. It should be about discovery and connecting the dots to expand that knowledge. I believe in hands-on projects and cooperative learning where time is given for developing investigative skills. It is my goal to teach life skills and not just factoids. Education is a life-long journey. It doesn't stop just because you graduate from high school or college.

My philosophy in action
Discipline, structure, and communication are my keys to classroom success. I am willing to give of my time before school, during recess, my lunch time and after school whenever necessary to help individual students be successful. Parents are made aware of this throughout the year if a problem arises. I have a goal-setting conference as early as possible in the school year.

If a teacher is excited about the lesson, students will mirror it with their enthusiasm. It's important for all parties to have fun in the learning process.

Some projects I use to excite my students are: Science Fair, Outdoor Science School, raising and eating silkworms, developing a butterfly garden, vegetable garden, hot air balloons, water rockets with egg "astronauts", constructing a chicken skeleton, dissecting owl pellets, and building birdhouses and feeders. I also have several snakes, stick bugs, and a tarantula in my classroom for the students.

My greatest teaching accomplishment
My greatest teaching accomplishment is mirrored in my son's choice of professions because he has followed in my wife's and my footsteps. Although he might have chosen a more lucrative profession, he certainly could not have chosen a more rewarding one, and it is with great pleasure that I was invited to his first Open House and saw some of the projects that I developed. I saw his joy as he talked with animated students and interested parents, and I realized it reflected my own philosophy of teaching.

The most critical issues facing educators today
A major problem exists in attracting and retaining bright new teachers to the profession. Twenty-nine percent leave after only three years, and thirty-nine percent after five years. Many of those who leave cite low pay, the hours spent outside the classroom grading papers or working on curriculum, or disillusionment in teaching. But the majority alludes to the lack of support and the isolation of the classroom on the school site. Teachers, once hired, are many times left on their own to find the necessary supplies and figure out how to best implement and pace curriculum. This is compounded by the fact that the stakes have been raised with testing pressures and improving API scores.

Ways to resolve this issue
If we are to reverse this loss of talent, we must be willing to support new teachers at our school site. BTSA participation can orient teachers as to procedures, materials and curriculum. But even here we need to be conscious that more meetings paperwork added to those who are already feeling stressed and overwhelmed might not be the answer. Most importantly, we need to show empathy and make ourselves available to help. We need to be someone this new teacher can feel comfortable coming to with questions, problems, or frustrations. By simply being aware that our new colleagues need our support rather than our indifference can prevent potentially excellent teachers from leaving the professions. It takes more than a key and a classroom to make a teacher.

One thought to inspire teachers to succeed
There are many different voices that shape who we are, or who we may become, like teachers. So choose your pebbles carefully, and throw them gently into this pond we call education because the students we teach are beyond doubt the face of our future. A quote from which I receive inspiration to excel is: "The young do not know enough to be prudent, and therefore they attempt the impossible, and achieve it generation after generation." Pearl S. Buck

One lesson every student should learn
Students need to develop their self-confidence and trust in their own abilities. They must build on what they believe is positive about themselves. Accepting personal responsibility is paramount to success. They must hold themselves accountable and make a commitment to excellence. "If the elevator to success isn't running, don't forget the stairs!"

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