Sandra McBrayer -- 1994 California Teacher of the Year
In 1988 McBrayer founded and developed the first successful classroom in California for homeless youth, ages 12 through 19. As Head Teacher at the Homeless Outreach School operated by the San Diego County Office of Education, Ms. McBrayer not only teaches but is the site administrator, supervisor of the professional staff, and an active promoter of the program to San Diego's homeless community. From the window of her storefront classroom, she witnesses the harsh realities of life and death on the streets. "My students' attendance is strictly voluntary and if I do not meet their individual needs, they will not attend." Lessons can range from reading a bus schedule to reciting Maya Angelou, from economical grocery shopping to understanding advanced algebra. She guides her students from existing only in a survival mode to excelling in society. More importantly she instills a firm belief within her students that they can achieve and that they are valuable members of society. Many of her evenings and weekends are spent speaking about homelessness, education and multicultural awareness to educators, students, and service organizations. She has worked to establish a college scholarship fund for homeless and unattended youth. "My teaching encompasses the whole child. I believe that education should fully engage the mind, heart and soul. To teach is to cooperatively create a community in which all members are equally valued and participate as both teachers and learners," she says.
Marjorie West -- 1994 Colorado Teacher of the Year
Having taught in Alaska, Kansas, Texas and Germany, Marjoire West is now a first grade teacher at Glennon Heights Elementary School in Lakewood since 1970. In 1987 she became the first legally blind teacher in Colorado to teach in a regular education classroom. With the assistance of a dog guide and a full-time aide, she keeps her classroom as "normal" as possible and interacts with the community in a manner that reflects and promotes a positive image of teaching and of teachers. She motivates her students to "learn how to learn" and to "create their own footsteps." Her students are challenged to become the best they can be and to concentrate on their abilities rather than their disabilities. Decision making skills are introduced and implemented. Realistic, age-appropriate expectations and standards of behavior are developed and practiced. Cooperative learning skills are learned and applied daily. "I consider myself a traditional teacher who believes in an eclectic approach," she says. "In today's society I am convinced of the need to teach not only the basic skills, but also an additional 3 R's: Responsibility, Respect, and Restraint." An active participant in her community, she makes home visits to each of her students' homes and provides free child-care in her classroom during monthly PTA meetings. She is a widely requested speaker on handicap awareness and strong advocate for support of public education.
Francis Kemba Mustapha -- 1994 Indiana Teacher of the Year
Born in a West African village where there was no school or no one who could read or write, Mustapha was guided by parents who were willing to prepare their children for a life that would be very different from their own. He was sent to a school in the next town where he not only studied reading and math but carried sand and water to form mud bricks to build the new school. His hopes for gaining admittance to one of the two colleges in the country were thwarted when, upon graduation, he was sent to teach math at a high school in the northern part of the country. It was there that an American biology teacher made it possible for Mustapha to attend college in the United States. Upon the advice of a college teacher and mentor Mustapha added teaching to his degrees in biology and botany. In 1983, following teaching positions in Liberia and his native Sierra Leone, he returned to the United States with his American born wife. Since then he has taught biology at South Side High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana. "I want to create opportunities for others to succeed, as my village and my teacher did for me," he says. He tells his students that he will probably be harder that any teacher they have ever had and that he requires them to be more responsible, more focused, and more disciplined than they have ever been. Although he knows that all his favorite biology facts may not be remembered forever, the habits of responsibility, the amazement at how life works, and the self respect that comes from rising to a challenge always will remain with his students. "Because I remember where I came from, I can challenge my students to imagine how far they can go," he says.
Dodie Burns Magill -- 1994 South Carolina Teacher of the Year
Choosing to become a teacher came naturally for Dodie. Her mother was a teacher and Dodie's school years were filled with volunteer activities that put her in daily contact with young students. Magill's educational accomplishments all involve collaboration--working with others to create better learning experiences for children. At Pelham Road Elementary School in Greenville she conceived and implemented the plan to turn her school into a real, operational learning community. Upon entering the "Community of Pelham Road School" students head down Main Street, passing City Hall (the office), the Art Gallery (visual arts classroom), and Dr. Feelgood's office (nurse's station). Classrooms have street signs naming the teachers. The Town Square is the library; a city park is the lunchroom. The concept of community goes beyond the visual environment and infuses the curriculum with a sense of shared purpose and the basic community values of respect and responsibility. "I try to make learning come alive for my students," she says. "Dressing up as 'Betty Balanced Meals' during a study of food groups, or as 'Mr. Taste Bud' while studying the five senses, captures my students attention. It also demonstrates that imagination and creativity are valuable qualities." An accomplished author and producer of demonstration video tapes, Magill is an advocate of and speaker for the crucial role of early childhood education. "We must provide experiences for our students to become independent thinkers who are responsible for their own behavior and capable of making good decisions for themselves. As a teacher I'm proud to be the first partner with parents as children embark on lifelong learning," she says.
