Margaret Petty
Nebraska Teacher of the Year
Franklin Elementary, Omaha
Grade 6, All Subjects

My teaching philosophy
My teaching philosophy is WIT – Whatever It Takes. “Whatever” for each student, each day, each lesson. Every new class brings challenges and opportunities. I am willing to be flexible and adapt, doing whatever it takes to meet the needs of each individual learner.
Being a teacher is going on a treasure hunt every day and finding a pile of gold. My students are full of gifts and talents that they haven’t seen before or were too afraid to use. I want to inspire in each of my students the confidence he or she needs to open their treasure box.

My philosophy in action
A student who needs to move around in class? Let him sit on an exercise ball instead of a chair. It’s too cold for you to walk to school? I’ll come pick you up. You don’t understand your math homework? Call me at home; come to school early; stay late or we can work through lunch together. As I tell my students, it’s not just about saying I’m committed to their success; it’s about doing what is needed to help them succeed.

To do whatever it takes, I have to see my “difficult” classes or students as opportunities for growth – my growth! Listening to the students’ feedback helps inform and improve my teaching. Students regularly fill out my report card, telling me what I do well and what I need to work on. After noticing that many students weren’t thrilled with my science teaching, I went back to graduate school. The students’ feedback led me to a Master’s Degree with an emphasis on math and science, a certificate in Urban Education and an endorsement in Assessment. I now LOVE teaching science because I understand it’s about being curious, not memorizing facts. The evaluations from my students reflect my enthusiasm and my enhanced knowledge.

My greatest teaching accomplishment
When my students become intrinsically motivated to learn because they see themselves in the driver’s seat of their educational success and their own lives. It’s great to see them succeed in my classroom, but that feeling is multiplied as I see them do well in junior high, graduate from high school and even enter college.

The most critical issues facing educators today
I recently read a story in Time that talked about what a modern Rip Van Winkle would say if he walked into today’s schools: “not much new.” I don’t believe that is completely true, but I do believe that our schools are not changing fast enough to keep up with changes in student demographics, our global community and technological advances.

Ways to resolve this issue
We need to provide regular professional development that is rooted in professional learning communities and imbedded in the teacher duty day, not after school and on weekends. Teachers need to see themselves as integral team players, not individual contractors.

We need to provide our schools with the most up-to-date technology so that we can train students to access and utilize information more effectively.

One thought to inspire teachers to succeed
We need these students to pay for our retirement!

One lesson every student should learn
Learning is not something that is done TO you, it is done BY you. To reach your full potential in life, you must never stop learning!

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