
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, October 18, 1993                   TAG: 9310190042
SECTION: NATL/INTL                    PAGE: NF-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

TEACHER OF THE WEEK

Donna Speidel loves to cook. And her fourth-graders at Oak Grove Elementary in Roanoke County love for her to cook, too. Speidel rewards her class for good behavior by treating them to homemade treats such as fudge or cookies. "It's a form of bribery, but it works," she said.

Putting herself in the shoes of her pupils also works when it comes to teaching, Speidel said. "I've got to be on their level to help them think and understand." Speidel said she likes to read to her class and share her own experiences. "I want them to know that adults have had lives like they have," she said.

Speidel, an educator for 23 years, said she likes working with fourth-graders because that's the age when children begin developing concepts and understanding "how things fit together." She especially enjoys teaching Virginia history and math.

When not cooking, she enjoys traveling with her husband, reading and exercising.

If you have a nomination for Teacher of the Week, send the name of the nominee, his or her school and why you think that teacher should be honored. Include your name, telephone number and school and send to NewsFun, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke 24010-2491. The Science Museum of Western Virginia will award each Teacher of the Week a gift certificate for $50 to be spent at the museum's Teacher Resource Center.

by CNB