Dana Boyd
Texas Teacher of the Year
Dolphin Terrace Elementary School, El Paso
All Grades and Subjects

My teaching philosophy
CAPTURE the students and their parents from day one. MOTIVATE those students on a daily basis. TEACH with your heart and soul everyday. I create a sense of family. I instill this from day one.

My philosophy in action
I make it a point to find out something special about the students. Point out something positive about the students on a daily basis. Once I have captured them, inspired them with endless possibilities that face their future, they are like sponges when it comes to teaching. I let each of my students know that they will not be a negative statistic, they will each be successful in whatever they decide to do.

My greatest teaching accomplishment
Helping a student get through the sudden death of her mother and still having a strong relationship with this student to this very day. Also, involving the students, faculty and parents at our campus to help this young lady and her dad cope with their devastating loss.

The most critical issues facing educators today
Bullying, socioeconomic factors, abundance of testing (benchmarks, common assessments).

Ways to resolve these issues
Focus on the child at hand. Build a relationship of trust and the teaching will come with the trust. As a campus, we need to look at the teaching styles that drive our instruction. “Look at the teaching, not the teacher.” Look at ourselves and ask, “Is what I’m doing on a daily basis having a positive impact on the instruction in my class?”

One thought to inspire teachers to succeed
“On our very worst day, we are still many students’ only hope!”

One lesson every student should learn
“I know my teacher will never give up on me.”

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