Sherri Gould
Maine Teacher of the Year
Nokomis Regional High, Newport, ME
Grade 9, English

My teaching philosophy
Teaching is not a profession; it is a way of life. Teaching is a gift of the heart, mind, and soul. In fact, I see little difference in the way I have chosen to parent and the way I have chosen to teach. First, I believe a teacher must demonstrate heartfelt compassion. Not all students come to school with minds and bodies ready to learn. A great teacher interacts with all students with compassion and understanding, always communicating to students through word, deed, and action that they are valuable and capable. Second, a teacher must be passionate, not only about the subject matter one teaches, but about making a difference in students’ lives. Students know when a teacher enjoys how s/he spends the day, and that passion can become contagious. Teaching is also a gift of the mind. Great teachers recognize the importance of being responsible for student learning; we plan around student needs; we assess fairly and consistently; and we use that assessment to inform instruction. Next, great teachers are motivated and curious. Knowing that learning is a lifelong process, we must stay current in the field of education. We want to know what others are doing that is working with student learning, and we want to always have best practice to offer our students. Lastly, an outstanding teacher knows that teaching is embedded in one’s soul. It is there that we find the humor and the enthusiasm that we need to connect with students. Students who have a strong relationship with their teacher are intrinsically motivated to learn more and enjoy being in class. Great teachers also need to see the humor in situations that might otherwise leave one in despair; not only does a sense of humor salvage students, it can salvage teachers as well. Overall, outstanding teachers know that they are raising young people each and every day, and we take that responsibility very much to heart.

My philosophy in action
I love being a teacher. That passion has defined my teaching style. As a teacher, I thrive on being good natured and using humor to interact with my students. I find seasonal jokes (searching out the ones that are real “groaners”) to share at opportune times. I develop puns to help students see the pleasure of language. I try to inject current student lingo into my responses, sometimes botching the phraseology intentionally to get their attention. My students know that I love being with them and that I love sharing my passion for learning with them. My students thrive in a creative classroom where there is a high expectation for student learning and a commitment to guiding them to that learning. It is a classroom where learning can take place because students are comfortable; they know they are in an environment with clear expectations for behavior as well as a space where individual differences are valued.

My greatest teaching accomplishment
The rewards I find in teaching have come in many shapes and sizes: the rewards are my students. Only another teacher would understand the thrill that comes when I see the sudden light of understanding in James’ eyes as he finally realizes how to write an effective topic sentence. I find reward in Katie’s efforts to stop swearing in my room; if she does swear, she knows I won’t yell at her, but my disappointment bothers her even more. I find reward in the little notes that Tia leaves for me to find after class. I find reward in the students who fill my room with laughter and conversation each morning before they disperse to their homerooms, giving me high-fives on the way out the door. I find reward in the teenagers who bound up to me in Wal-Mart just to talk. I find reward in students who share with me their accomplishments, their disappointments, and their dreams. I find reward in walking down the hall, late for class and wondering why I can’t hear those freshmen taking advantage of my tardiness, only to find each and every one of them reading their IRP books just like they’re supposed to do to start class every day. Could it be they are growing up? Could it be I had a hand in helping them? What better reward could there possibly be?

The most critical issues facing educators today
Public education today faces many important issues: adequate and equitable school funding, student readiness to learn, student assessment, NCLB. One of the most important to me is attracting and keeping quality teachers in our schools. The National Education Association says there are nearly one million veteran educators nearing retirement, with an estimate of two million new teachers needed in our nation’s schools in the next ten years. How will we attract those new teachers to the profession? How will we keep experienced teachers in place to help them adjust to such a challenging profession? One reason new teachers and quality teachers are not committed to the profession is the degree to which the teaching profession is valued and respected by the public at large. Research shows that teachers are the most highly trusted professionals, and yet we are grossly under compensated when compared to the salaries that professionals with similar education and experience can earn. In addition, new teachers and quality teachers are not committed to the profession because they find themselves overwhelmed with what is required of them, isolated in their classrooms, and unsupported by many parents, administrators, and school boards. As you can see, the primary reason it is difficult to attract and keep quality teachers in our schools is because of salaries and working conditions. The difficulty attracting and keeping quality teachers has serious implications for the future of our schools and our children. It has already reached crisis proportions in urban schools as well as in high-need subject areas such as special education. When quality teachers are not in the classroom, students lose. Students lose an adult who cares for their well-being. Students lose a stimulating environment. Students lose the expertise that can provide them with best practice instruction and assessment. When quality teachers are not in the classroom, society loses. Society loses young adults who have learned to be responsible and respectful citizens. Society loses young adults who have workplace skills in place when they are hired. Society loses young adults who have the dream and desire to succeed.

Ways to resolve this issue
How can we resolve the problem of attracting and keeping quality teachers in our schools? First, we must provide adequate compensation for teachers. Starting salaries for new educators are often inadequate to cover living expenses and student loan expenses. Veteran teachers’ salaries must be improved to be on par with other professionals with similar education, training, and experience. Compensation packages should include full medical and dental benefits for educators, and the extracurricular duties so often assigned to teachers must be compensated as well. Furthermore, schools must provide regular opportunity for paid professional development and team-building as part of the compensation package. Second, we must improve working conditions for teachers. Each district must provide quality mentoring programs for new teachers. Another means of improving working conditions is to eliminate all out-of-area assignments for teachers as this is a disservice to teacher and student alike. In addition, we must improve working conditions by providing more time for collegial work: for planning, for conferring, for assessment. This is work that teachers routinely do on late afternoons, evenings, and weekends. Like any profession, education faces many critical issues. However, the future success of the profession depends upon those committed individuals who work directly with our young people. It is critical that we create a culture of excellence to attract and keep quality educators in our nation’s schools.

One thought to inspire teachers to succeed
All students are gifted; some just open their packages earlier than others! – source unknown
Be patient. If a student isn't learning the way you are teaching, you must teach to the way the student learns!

One lesson every student should learn
Students must realize that they hold the key to their future; the choices they make each day influence the future they will have.

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