Minnesota Teacher of the Year, 2009

Thanks to my love for letting me know, I was able to listen to an interview of Amber Damm, Minnesota's Teacher of the Year for 2009, today on MPR's Midday. Her words were so encouraging for me. The enthusism and interest in kids' lives and their learning was so evident immediately as I heard her voice. She presents a very hopeful and postivie outlook on the relationships that a teacher can have on students, their families, and thier communities.

She makes me SOOOOO excited to become a teacher! I enjoyed the section where she explains what makes the magnet school she works at special. She describes it as a school that is in tune to understanding the whole child, which includes not only their academics, but also their social, emotional, and physical growth and well-being. Also, she stresses that the school understands that there are multiple ways for kids to learn, and that everyone can learn no matter what their past may say.
Another aspect of the school, and I assume her teaching philosophy, is the project emphasis, rather than test emphasis on learning. This idea, of even getting rid of the 50 question multiple choice tests that seem so standard, is so cool for me, as I don't believe that that is the best way to learn something-anything...being able to take tests well is a skill that I have focused on too much in my own education I feel--getting the grade was center in my education, unfortunately, now that I look back. Tests and knowing how to take them to acheive an end was, now that I realize it, so very distracting to my growth. I remember my projects, journal entries, activities, and field trips more than I do any test I ever took. The project emphasis encourages students to learn for the sake of learning, rather than for the sake of a sometimes deceitful grade.

Beyond this, I took so much from hearing the interview--the excitement and motivation to become a teacher has just tripled in my drive; that goes without explanation.

As a teacher I will strive to be as this teacher is. Thank you!

"the most significant issue in public education is rooted in the question: How do we address the needs of all learners? I have a passion for discovering how students learn. How do all kids learn, no matter what they bring to the school they attend? They learn by experiencing authentic relationships with teachers and classmates who know and understand them.” - Amber Damm