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

DATE: MONDAY, January 31, 1994                   TAG: 9402010058
SECTION: NEWSFUN                    PAGE: 3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

TEACHER OF THE WEEK

One of the pupils in Donna Copenhaver's third grade at McHarg Elementary in Radford finds school so much fun that she couldn't wait to get back after the winter holiday break. "She is such a great teacher," the pupil said. "I wanted to go to school over the Christmas break because I enjoy her classes so much."

Copenhaver, in her 21st year of teaching, said she tries to make each child in her class feel special. "My mother, who was a teacher, told me the secret to teaching was `making each child feel you care about them,' " Copenhaver said.

Math is Copenhaver's favorite subject to teach and is important, she said, because it's a subject her pupils will encounter all through their lives. "I try to take the drudgery out of it," she said. Copenhaver uses manipulatives and hands-on activities to reinforce math skills.

Married and the mother of two, Copenhaver lives in Salem and enjoys reading, walking and shopping.

\ 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.