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

DATE: MONDAY, October 2, 1995                   TAG: 9510030009
SECTION: NEWSFUN                    PAGE: NF-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

TEACHER OF THE WEEK

For Marilee Williamson, time spent shooting hoops on the basketball court with her pupils can be as productive as time spent teaching math and sentence structure.

"We spend a lot of time outside. It helps me become a friend as well as a teacher," she said. "I can get to know the child and his or her needs. This school fosters that."

Williamson, who has taught at the private school near Hollins for five years, said one of the things she enjoys most is the freedom she has to take her pupils in the direction she and they see fit.

"I'm not bound by curriculum, textbooks or state regulations. We can study anything the children want."

"I think [Williamson] is a good teacher because if you have a problem, she fixes it for you. She makes things fun for everybody," said one of her nominators.

Williamson admits she has a special rapport with her pupils because of her experiences as a learning-disabled teacher. "I'm able to pinpoint what each child needs, and that's real helpful in a multi-age classroom," she said.

Married and the mother of two daughters who attend Community, Williamson and her family live on a small farm in Botetourt County. She enjoys reading and music.

by CNB