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

DATE: MONDAY, January 10, 1994                   TAG: 9401110027
SECTION: NEWSFUN                    PAGE: NF-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

TEACHER OF THE WEEK

The pupils in Christy Crotts' fifth grade at G.W. Carver in Salem are "constantly busy," says their teacher. "They don't just sit in their seats all day long. They're up and doing things a lot of the time.

"I like to get them involved," Crotts said, like her fifth-grade teacher, who inspired Crotts to enter the field of education. "My teacher had a big influence on me. We didn't stay in our seats all day, and that was unusual then," she said.

The pupils in Crotts' class are involved in activities ranging from performing in plays to designing and staging a mock museum in their classroom. "Mrs. Crotts is the best teacher at G.W. Carver. She makes everything fun," said the pupil who nominated her.

Crotts, whose favorite subject to teach is social studies, says she enjoys working with fifth-graders because of their independence and enthusiasm. She has taught for 14 years.

When not taking education classes herself, Crotts enjoys aerobics, reading and spending time with her family, which includes a husband and two boys.

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.