Susanne Frensley
Tennessee Teacher of the Year
Hillsboro Comprehensive High School, Nashville
Grade 10–12, Art Survey, Advanced Placement Art History

My teaching philosophy
Teaching adolescents is an incredible opportunity to connect with children who are experiencing an inordinate number of physical, emotional and social changes. I believe that the environment created by the teacher is critical to the academic, social and emotional success of every student. First and foremost, this environment should emphasize respect. An atmosphere of respect creates a space for every student to feel safe being his or herself. I work hard to create such an environment, in which students feel nurtured, secure and valued. The result is a safe classroom structured for support as opposed to control. In turn, a supportive, secure environment enables students to take academic risks. Learning time is precious, and the deepest, most meaningful learning occurs when students have the opportunity to be creative with the concepts or material. When students feel safe to be creative in this nurturing, flexible environment, students go deep with creativity, and throughout the year their creativity blossoms.

My philosophy in action
It is important that each and every student feel honored in my classroom. I create a place where students can think freely and be themselves. The combination of a safe, nurturing classroom in which academic risks occur regularly fosters high levels of activity and energy. Excitement fills the air. I hold the belief that “the more students, the better.” Diversity is paramount because every student brings something important to each class. Regardless of a student’s skill or academic level, students are able to thrive in my classroom. Students who otherwise are considered behavior problems flourish because each of their creative talents are identified, celebrated and harvested; their voices, thoughts and opinions are indispensable to the success of the whole class. As a result, I have an inordinate number of 504, MIP Fragile and Behavior, Special Education and Advanced Placement students together in the same classes.

My greatest teaching accomplishment
My primary contribution to the Nashville education community is the development of an art history program aimed at preparing Nashville’s students to interact with and respond to art. As classroom participants, students not only recognize images, they comprehend an image's place in its context and the influences from which it originated. Through the study of art, we celebrate human achievement, creativity and expression. We consider what it means to be human, how that meaning changes from culture to culture, and why it changes over time. We explore feelings, expectations, stereotypes, and standards of beauty. We behold splendor and value hard work. We develop tools to observe, analyze, integrate, interrogate, discern and judge, and we have fun. As they come to understand perceptions and images once alien to them, students conclude my classes with a stronger awareness of self and a sense of ownership in American culture. Furthermore, students leave with the tools necessary to successfully digest the millions of images and ideas with which we are bombarded every day. Through the support of their intellectual curiosity and a fostering of their love of the visual arts, my students become visual arts patrons.

The most critical issues facing educators today
A critical issue facing educators today is the low percentage of public school students who graduate from high school. Currently, only 60 percent of Metro Nashville Public School students graduate. This contrasts dramatically with Governor Bredesen’s goal of a 90 percent graduation rate for Tennessee, and it is below the approximate 70 percent national average. In America’s larger cities, the graduation rate for African-American males is often 30 percent lower that white males. Nationwide, Hispanic students have the highest high school dropout rate of any ethnic or racial group. Amongst all populations, low achievement, grade retention (particularly in the 9th grade), frequent absenteeism, the decrease in two-parent families, and moving from school to school are the factors that have the greatest negative impact on dropout rates.

Ways to resolve this issue
There are a variety of approaches geared at slowing and remedying the dropout rate. For example, comprehensive programs such as Talent Development High Schools implement small learning communities, longer class periods, employer advisory boards, curriculum reforms, interdisciplinary teams of teachers, and professional development. Similar initiatives provide services and resources to students, and offer intensive learning experiences and tutoring. However, a decrease in funding for guidance counselors remains a significant impediment to lowering the dropout rate. Systems must find ways to pair adults with at-risk students, whether through teacher advisory enterprises, mentoring programs or volunteers from the community because research indicates that an invested adult/adolescent relationship is most likely to avert the decision to drop out. Failure to address low graduation rates compromises our national security as much as it impedes the ability of our children to both contribute to and share in national prosperity.

One thought to inspire teachers to succeed
Effective teachers should be:
Well trained in their subject area,
Organized,
Consistent,
Aware of the value of students’ time, and
Flexible, knowing that we are working with human beings and things rarely go exactly as planned.

Outstanding teachers:
Respect and honor students,
Connect with the age group they are teaching,
Love the subject they teach,
Possess a sense of humor and the ability to laugh at oneself,
Have a high energy level, and
Make a commitment to students, regardless of who they are or where they are from.

One lesson every student should learn
All students should have the opportunity to learn through the visual and performing arts. The arts are some of the most effective means for students to develop creative neural pathways and the courage to explore. Whether through dance, music, theater, art construction or interpretation, students must be provided opportunities to develop their individual creative tools.

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