THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 31, 1996 TAG: 9610310317
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ALETA PAYNE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: 46 lines
The list of words used to describe Ocean Lakes High School English teacher Leanne Self just keeps growing.
To ``persistent,'' ``vivacious'' and ``energetic'' was added Virginia Beach Teacher of the Year last spring. And earlier this month, she added another long title - Foster B. Gresham Award winner, which makes her ``the best of the best,'' according to the Virginia Association of Teachers of English.
Being chosen the state's top English teacher, on the heels of being named the city's best, caps a pretty good year for Self.
``It's been a fantastic year,'' she said Tuesday. ``I'm so thankful. It's just such an honor to be recognized by my state organization.''
Fran Sharer, an English teacher at Green Run High School and president of the state group, said a committee made the selection based on videotapes of the teachers at work, review of their lesson plans and recommendations.
``The one word that kept coming up (about Self) was animation - the ability to come across to the students,'' Sharer said.
Self considers herself to be as much a student as the young people she teaches in Advanced Placement and 12th-grade Honors English. She also leads a class once a week for gifted high-schoolers in ninth through 12th grades.
Self keeps a journal of her teaching experiences and also takes on some of the same writing exercises that she assigns to her students.
``So they can see that writing is not something that you totally master and it's over and done with then you move on,'' she said. ``I like to think of us as artists trying to perfect our craft as best we can.''
After Self won the citywide award, some of her students described what they liked about her.
``She keeps you interested,'' said Michele Rosenberger. ``She's so energetic, you can't get bored. I leave class with my brain spinning.''
Also honored by the state's teachers of English was Teresa Ann Carter, a Kempsville High School graduate who attends Virginia Wesleyan College and is a student teacher in Virginia Beach. She was honored with an award and scholarship given to an outstanding young person pursuing a career in education. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Leanne Self
KEYWORDS: VIRGINIA BEACH TEACHER OF THE YEAR VIRGINIA'S BEST
ENGLISH TEACHER by CNB