THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, April 24, 1996 TAG: 9604240157
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 16 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: BY NANCY LEWIS, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Long : 287 lines
RANDY WULITICH IS squirming, just a bit.
He's on the spot, in the hot seat.
His teacher, Leanne Self, wants to know whether he thinks the African-American protagonist in Ralph Ellison's controversial novel, ``Invisible Man,'' becomes a ``yes man'' and denies his inner self when he allows himself to be exploited.
The Ocean Lakes High School senior doesn't fidget for long.
He crosses his arms across the front of his plaid shirt, stretches back in his seat and responds thoughtfully.
``The whole book he's thinking about himself - the whole book, he's saying, `What am I going to get out of it?' ''
The bud of an idea.
Self wants it to blossom.
Her arms and hands begin making big counterclockwise circles in the air, looping from Wulitich toward herself, trying to draw out more. Her head bobs up and down with excitement. Her mouth is clamped shut, but looks like it is chock full of words just swarming to get out. She refrains. She wants Wulitich to look deeper, to make connections, to put into words Ellison's subtle message about racism - about all -isms.
The 34-year-old English teacher, just named Virginia Beach's Teacher of the Year, strives to draw the best from all her students, whether they are headed for college or the workplace after graduation. It's that quality, along with many others, that resulted in her selection from among 82 nominees - five finalists - for the city's highest education honor.
Now she's in the running for the top state award, and, if she prevails there, will enter competition for the national title.
The Virginia Beach native, a Princess Anne High School graduate, gets gold stars from her superiors and peers.
And as for her students, they'd gladly put a shine on bushels of apples - students like Michele Rosenberger, who appears ready to jump out of her seat with a burning desire to give voice to her take on Ellison's book.
``Unless we remember the past, we're doomed to repeat it,'' blurts Rosenberger when Self nods in her direction. ``Ellison says we are being color conscious, not color blind.''
``The black and white symbolism,'' continues Self without missing a beat. ``Is he exploiting our obsessiveness with color? That's what I want to throw on the board. Is it all a matter of satire? Is he telling us as individuals, `Just be conscious instead of color conscious?' ''
Suddenly, Chris Lane thinks he has it.
``That we refuse to treat each other as though we were all equal, when we all have something to do with it,'' he gushes spontaneously.
Self snaps her fingers in the air, signing an exclamation point after Lane's comment. She's all smiles, as usual, and quickly starts jabbing her right index finger toward those who've not yet spoken. ``I want to hear from everybody.''
Self's love of learning is infectious. It's something she has no intention of ending.
Just now she is working on her second English master's degree and will study this summer at Oxford University in London. She plans eventually to get her doctorate in British and world literature.
This is her second year at Ocean Lakes. She has taught also at Tallwood and Kempsville high schools.
For a time, at Tallwood, Self dealt exclusively with gifted and talented students, but returned to the regular classroom because she ``missed all the kids so much.''
``I love what I do, could not imagine doing anything else,'' she says. ``I have a passion for knowledge and learning. . . . It's a great thing. Every day, every moment is different. You teach what you love.''
Betty Smith, chair of Ocean Lakes' English Department and a former Virginia Beach Teacher of the Year herself, sings her colleague's praises:
``Because she herself is always a student, she understands them. She allows them to take risks, get to the questions, makes them reflect on everything they do and pushes them to search for more.''
Smith was Self's cooperative teacher when Self began her 11-year Virginia Beach teaching career in a Kellam High School classroom.
``I've known since the first day she was a natural,'' Smith recalls. ``On day two I was ready to sit back and take notes.''
Smith was a 30-year veteran when she first saw Self in action, but even so, she found inspiration.
``She was good for me. . . made me re-examine how I look at students.''
Nor does Self coddle her students, Smith says. ``She's demanding, doesn't handhold.'' Though the kids sometimes don't appreciate the subtle pressure at the time, they come to later, she adds.
Ocean Lakes principal Jerry Deviney calls Self's classroom a ``laboratory of learning, a sanctuary of teaching.'' He credits Self's outstanding teaching ability in part to the fact that she is surrounded by other good teachers. ``One influences the others.''
Self received a master's in English education from the College of William and Mary. She took her bachelor's in English at Virginia Wesleyan College. A mentor at Wesleyan remembers her well:
Isabelle Shannon, professor of education and director of secondary education, recalled Self bringing a piece of parachute silk into the classroom as a student teacher to create a setting for a unit on mythology.
``She is a very creative individual, very interested in having students learn,'' Shannon says.
The ``roundtable'' discussion of Ellison's book was part of a recent 90-minute Advanced Placement class, one of several levels Self teaches. ``Facilitate'' might be a better word for what this devoted educator does.
Earlier in the class period, she had the students mesmerized with a lecture on writing. It was then that her background in the performing arts came into play. (She sang opera while at Radford University and, later, for five years with Norfolk's Virginia Opera Company.)
She dips and bobs around the room, all the while speaking inflectively with a voice that punctuates its own words. Her hands talk, too, moving constantly to emphasize what she says, her right thumb and forefinger frequently forming an ``O'' when she is honing in on something verbally.
The writing lesson was tied in to the Ellison reading, and Self used it to help the kids learn to foreshadow, to layer, to scheme in their own work.
``What makes Ellison's `Invisible Man' so powerful?'' she asks, bending over toward the class emphatically.
``It speeds you up, slows you down, breaks you out?'' comes a timid voice from the circled 12.
``Exactly!'' Self replies. She encourages students with positives like that one and others - ``Absolutely!'' ``Yeah!'' ``Oh, yes!'' ``See?'' ``Give me another one!'' ``Bingo!'' There are no ``no's,'' ``wrongs'' or other negative responses from this teacher.
``You can do this with your writing,'' she continues.
A collective sigh issues from the class.
``You're saying you can't, but wait a moment. The assignment - three photos that capture the essence of your life's story. Find the common element, scheme to mesh the metaphor. Link together three or four of the writings in your portfolio into a final masterpiece - a portrait of who you are.''
``Look!'' Self picks up a tie-dyed notebook from her last year's class.
This student ``took a prom picture, one of her with her dad, a third with actors in masks and started thinking about how she could use the mask to move from hiding in her relationship - not being able to share who she was . . . . she moved past the struggle, connected smoothly. She did! Incredible!''
Now Self leans onto a desk, crosses her ankles and waits for the encouragement to sink in. Then she continues.
``The scheme - the underlying logic or overarching structure. Ellison-like because it is multi-layered. See that?'' Now she is darting back and forth, gesticulating with her hands.
``Like weaving a basket?'' asks Rosenberger.
``Ah!'' is Self's approving response.
``Look,'' she insists, picking up a manuscript of her own. ``My three slices. I used pieces of jewelry - cameo brooch with tiny pearl seeds, a turquoise ring, a ruby and diamond ring - to hook it together. My nanny . . . 96 . . . still wears the ring . . . a picture of her gnarly hands that still talk to me . . . ''
When Self is done showing the class how she connected her own pieces of writing into one smooth narrative, the class understands.
``Oh, yeah.''
``Oooh.''
``The hook may just be a few sentences, questions. . . you want to see examples! All right!'' She runs to shut off the light and hurries back to turn on a projector. . . .
Michele Rosenberger doesn't hesitate when asked what makes Self a great teacher.
``Her secret is vivacity,'' she explains. ``She keeps you interested. She's so energetic you can't get bored. I leave class with my brain spinning.''
``She drains you mentally,'' says Dan Taylor, another advanced placement student. ``You exhale, wipe the sweat from your forehead.''
``She puts life into assignments,'' interjects Rosenberger, clearly never one to be lost for words. ``She takes what the curriculum says and breathes life into it. Makes me think.''
``. . . goes beyond the point of the novel. . . made me enjoy writing,'' says Taylor.
``. . . made me appreciate reading for more than just entertainment,'' says Rosenberger, getting in the last word.
Self lives at Salt Marsh Point with her husband of almost eight years, Roy Pilkington, a local businessman.
Though she enjoys teaching students of wide-ranging abilities, she has an admitted preference for seniors.
``I love preparing them for college, for going out into the world - asking the important questions about life, about their place and destiny.
``Art protects your soul,'' she tells them softly, knowingly. MEMO: THE NOMINEES
Teachers of the year were selected at each school. Five finalists
were chosen from the list of 82 nominations, and one was selected as the
districtwide teacher of the year (* denotes finalist).
ELEMENTARIES
Alanton - Sarah D. Robinson
Arrowhead - Anne D. Trafton
Bayside - Leatha M. Fischer
Birdneck - Susan M. Freund-Sotomayor
Brookwood - Diane S. Schultz
Centerville - Lynda M. Rafferty
College Park - Ann B. Sye
Cooke - Jeanne M. Bennett
Corporate Landing - Kay T. Troutman
Creeds - Douglas S. Lighthart
Dey - Gregory C. Furlich
Fairfield - Brandon M. Brown
Glenwood - Christine A. Wallace
Green Run - Annette I. Mohan
Hermitage - Carol A. Johnson
Holland - Marilyn T. Habib
Indian Lakes - Gertrude H. Duke
Kempsville - Diann J. Whitley
Kempsville Meadows - Christine M. Caravello-Goodman
Kings Grant - Anita F. Mitchell
*Kingston - Maureen B. Harris
Landstown - Catherine M. Wright
Linkhorn Park - Joan R. Pluta
Louise Luxford - Gwen L. Ahters
Lynnhaven - Elizabeth C. Heischober
Malibu - Mark B. Carmack
Newtown Road - Lori S. Hasher
North Landing - Karen L. Millman
Ocean Lakes - Tamara W. Frink
Old Donation Center (for gifted and talented) - Michelle D.
Tillander
Parkway - Martha L. O'Connor
Pembroke - Kimberly A. Lakin
Pembroke Meadows - Gloria A. Smith
Plaza - Lenore E. Walker
Point O'View - Elizabeth T. Batty
Princess Anne - Janet S. White
Providence - Tonya B. Hoggard
Red Mill - Maria R. Lawson
Rosemont - Susan M. Crawford
Rosemont Forest - Virginia M. Bodnar
Salem - Debbie S. Field
Seatack - Vivian W. Brinson
Shelton Park - Estelle M. Spachmann
Strawbridge - Sharon E. Huber
Tallwood - Shirann C. Lewis
Thalia - Pamela M. Getrige
Thoroughgood - Gretta L. Patterson
Trantwood - Patrick J. Quigley
White Oaks - Christina R. Morton
Williams - Jacquelyn A. Coleman
Windsor Oaks - Susan H. Hudgins
Windsor Woods - Patricia A. Murray
Woodstock - Kristin K. Hildum
MIDDLE SCHOOLS
Bayside (7th and 8th Grade Campus) - Linda R. Tiller
Bayside (6th Grade Campus) - Jennifer B. Carstens
*Brandon - David J. Bailey
Center for Effective Learning - Rebecca C. Herron
Great Neck - Jeanne D. DeDominick
Independence - Betty B. Allen
*Kemps Landing Magnet School - Wendy S. Keller
Kempsville - Susan M. Adcock
Landstown - Charleene G. Bateman
Larkspur - Kathleen M. Hwang
Literacy Center - Susie D. Whitehurst
Lynnhaven - Ann H. Long
Plaza - Denise C. Ollison
Princess Anne - David H. Hopson
Salem - Linda C. Pease
Virginia Beach - Susan M. Brett
HIGH SCHOOLS
Bayside - Luisa L. Zirkle
Career Development Center - Priscilla W. Day
Cox - Jeffrey M. Shoaf
First Colonial - Barbara A. Chattleton
Green Run - Anne R. Midyette
Kellam - Anne F. Bright
Kempsville - Juanita B. Collins
*Ocean Lakes - Leanne K. Self
Princess Anne - Tina P. Lenhart
*Salem - Rosa V. Harris
Special Education Annex - Evelyn L. Zirkle
Tallwood - Gail Wiley-Davis
Virginia Beach Technical and Career Education Center - Barbara C.
Anderson ILLUSTRATION: Color photo on cover [by STEVE EARLEY]
Leanne Self
Staff photo by CHARLIE MEADS
Ocean Lake seniors Trevor Wright, left, and Kara Parrish hang on
Leanne Self's every word as she explains an assignment - ``three
photos that capture the essence of your life's story. Find the
common element, scheme to mesh the metaphor.''
Photo
Leanne Self - Teacher of the Year
Staff photos by STEVE EARLEY
When Leanne Self teaches, she is in constant motion. She dips and
bobs around the room, all the while speaking inflectively with a
voice that punctuates its own words. Her hands talk, too, moving
constantly to emphasize what she says, her right thumb and
forefinger frequently forming an ``O'' when she is honing in on
something verbally.
by CNB