THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, July 6, 1995 TAG: 9507040080
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: [Jon Glass]
LENGTH: Medium: 77 lines
Chrissy Kouzis, a 20-year teaching veteran, has plenty of opinions on the art and science of public education. These are excerpts from a ``professional biography'' prepared by Kouzis as part of the Teacher of the Year program.
Rewards of teaching
``Probably the greatest reward is when a student who appeared to be baffled and perplexed suddenly shouts, `Oh! Now I get it!' That's the moment I wish I could capture on videotape and play over and over on instant replay to keep me going until the next student makes a similar exclamation.''
Her contributions
``I believe one of my greatest contributions is to get the students deeply involved in their own learning. . . . I can instill in them that each successfully completed project is one more step toward the eventual goal of becoming an able, ongoing, independent, lifelong learner.''
Her philosophy of teaching
``I think it's important to `gently push' students rather than always slowing down the pace of instruction. I don't want students locked into slow remediation, mired in mediocrity or gifted but resting.''
Her expectations of students
``I have high expectations for all students. My meaning is that we must expect all students to make significant growth each school year from where they were when they reported in the fall. . . . It is incumbent upon the teacher to convey to all students that they must make progress - they must continue to grow.''
State education standards
``Not only is it essential for teachers to have different, but high, expectations for all students; so, too, is it essential for state documents to admit that there must be multiple standards that have provisions for different types of students. This is not `caving in' or `lowering standards.' It is an admission of what everyone knows: Public schools enroll all types of students. Their needs and abilities are not homogenous. It is not rational or sound to believe that the student who nearly, but not quite, qualifies for special education is going to make the same amount and type of progress in the same amount of time as the gifted or `nearly gifted' student.''
School curriculum
``We tend to set up curricula with one expectation - namely, that all students are preparing to go on to college. . . . We need programs that prepare students for different futures: college, the work force, technical skills, computer skills, etc.''
Strengthening the teaching profession
``If I strive to be the best teacher possible, I need to model for my students, the public and other teachers that I am also a willing learner. . . prepared for class, then I need to exhibit those behaviors also. . . . I feel I must also be a model of ethical behavior. . . . What have we gained, after all, if our level of achievement climbs while there is an absence of ethics?''
Her message as teacher of the year
``My message is simply that we need to go to any lengths to keep students in school. We can't afford to do otherwise. If certain students don't `fit the mold,' we must change the form to fit the student's needs. We must find the curriculum and the teachers that can relate to the students.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photos by JIM WALKER, who also took the [color] cover
photograph
From left, Anna Gorman, teacher Chrissy Kouzis, Christin Grady, Mary
Kathryn Young, Louise Woolridge and James Isajewicz enjoy a moment
together on the last day of school at Blair Middle.
With Jonathan Cook and Donte Harris looking on, Chrissy Kouzis gives
Stuart Bertsch a hand on the last day of school at Blair Middle.
KEYWORDS: TEACHER OF THE YEAR NORFOLK by CNB