Tracey Leon Bailey -- 1993 Florida Teacher of the Year
In his five years as a science teacher at Satellite High School in Satellite Beach, Bailey has established an impressive record that many might not achieve in a lifetime. He has developed programs in science that are the first of their kind in his state introducing "cutting edge" programs like molecular biology and DNA fingerprinting into the state's classrooms. Many of the students who achieve success in Satellite's science research programs are those traditionally known as low-achieving or at-risk students. In wide demand as a lecturer and consultant in his state and nationally, Mr. Bailey has worked with the University of New York at Stony Brook and Carolina Biological in developing workshops on molecular biology. He was the primary author for the Florida Department of Education curriculum for instructional technology workshops, and is the committee chair and university liaison for the Internet Computer Project. Hired by Satellite to build the science research and advanced placement programs, he has established one of the strongest programs in the state of Florida. Four of the six students representing the region at the International Science and Engineering Fair were from Satellite, and enrollment in Advanced Placement sciences has doubled, with passing rates among the highest in the country. "My chief goal and first love has been the classroom teaching environment, where I continue to be thrilled in helping students become excited about science, about their learning, and about conquering the academic challenges before them." "I am a firm believer that nearly every student will rise to the level of the expectations placed on him or her, and my students continue to confirm this at every opportunity."
Rosemary Faucette -- 1993 Arkansas Teacher of the Year
In her fifteen years of teaching in California and Arkansas, the last eleven teaching English at the Woodland Junior High School in Fayetteville, Faucette has developed a philosophy of teaching she calls her "Key Ring." "In teaching, as with all life's processes, there are rooms with doors. No one key opens all the doors. The first key opens the room of knowledge. I understand how language works; I play with language; I explore with language. I want my students to know English is dynamic, and fun, and challenging. My students write to involve their minds and hearts into a language they have spoken their whole lives. The second key gets me into the "technique and art of teaching" room. This is the room of risking, experimenting, listening to and learning from others. The third key opens the doors to my students' souls. This is the key I use the most because it enables me to look into my students' eyes and see the wonder child who dwells within each of them, the child who can learn, and wants to learn, and wants to grow, and just needs my help to do it." A graduate of the Dominican College of San Rafael and the University of Arkansas, Ms. Faucette is in wide demand as a presenter of staff development workshops throughout the state. She was instrumental in establishing the seventh grade within her school as a small learning community that emphasizes an inter-disciplinary approach to teaching English and social studies. It eliminates ability grouping and increases the emphasis on teaching reading, writing, and critical thinking. She has been published in Learning Magazine and the National Council of Teachers of English Notes Plus.
Pat S. Graff -- 1993 New Mexico Teacher of the Year
With the Albuquerque Public Schools since the beginning of her career, for the last seven years she has been a journalism, language arts, and government teacher at La Cueva High School. "Special students, outstanding teacher models, and a strong family tradition in education are all factors which influenced me to become a teacher," she says. "I honestly feel I was born to teach." Graff graduated from Oklahoma State University in Secondary Education with a triple major in French, journalism, and social studies. In nearly every curriculum she teaches an outreach component for her students is included. Her Journalism Week program goes out to elementary schools and her students are frequently invited to be consultants in elementary classes working on their own newspapers. The children's literacy unit in her communication skills classes promotes reading and writing in elementary schools and through her students has reached over 200 elementary classrooms in the last five years. "It is said that we retain 90% of what we teach, so I let my students teach as frequently as possible." Within two years of beginning the journalism program at La Cueva her students were winning state sweepstakes and national journalism awards. Her program is now expanding to include broadcast journalism. Three years ago, she was instrumental in inaugurating the English Expo, a state-wide contest on business letters, literature, and grammar. Over 1,000 students from 50 schools participated this last year. She is actively involved in professionalizing journalism education, chairing the National Council of Teachers of English committee on school publications. She is a member of the Journalism Education Association's National Certification Board. "In my classroom we are all a community of learners. Learning is a delight, a life-long experience that should never be turned off or halted."
Trudi Niewiaroski -- 1993 Maryland Teacher of the Year
A social studies teachers at Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville, Niewiaroski brings the unique experience of having lived in or visited 81 countries world wide. "I want to bring the world, as I have experienced it, to the classroom. I help students remove their ethnocentric glasses as they study other cultures. I endeavor to guide my student to respect themselves, others and their environment and to accept cultural differences. Through improved understanding of diverse cultures, they become compassionate, global citizens. When students leave my classroom, they understand the oneness of man." According to a former student "When you walk into Mrs. Niewiaroski's classroom, you never know what to expect. Will she look like an Indian mother, a Brazilian maiden or a member of Japanese royalty? Her class is alive with history." At Richard Montgomery High School she introduced separate courses on East Asia and Latin American History and Culture and has added a unit on the Middle East to the world history course. Other high schools within the county have now done the same. A recipient of two Fulbright Fellowships--one to India and one to China--Mrs. Niewiaroski shares her knowledge and skills with other teachers through inservice programs. She has presented workshops on the China, India, Japan, and the Massai of East Africa. She has also developed materials on Vietnam, the Holocaust, and Sensitivity Awareness for staff training. According to a colleague "Many teachers are good with students, but not all have the ability to teach others the skills or knowledge they have acquired. Teachers throughout our school, the county, and the state have benefited from her experiences." Says Niewiaroski "I work to make history come alive, and as a result, my peers do also."
