English Teacher, Southern High School

“I will do whatever it takes ... and ‘it’ changes every year. At the beginning of every semester I immediately assess my students’ academic skills, gain their trust by showing genuine interest in their lives and respecting them for who they are, develop meaningful lessons that are pertinent to their specific needs, train them to work hard, and insist on the highest level of standards when it comes to the performance of each kid for 86 minutes every day of the year.”