Something Better

Priorities for the
Missouri Teacher of the Year
January 2003

NEA St. Louis member Audrey Ferguson shares her leading messages as a spokesperson for Missouri teachers.

When Audrey Ferguson was in fourth grade, her mother discovered that her daughter could not read. Until that time, the quiet, polite little girl had managed to keep her reading disability a secret. Her mother collaborated with the school’s principal and enrolled Audrey in a reading clinic at a nearby school.

In fourth grade, Audrey read at the second grade level, but by seventh grade, she read at the tenth grade level. Today, Audrey is the 2002-2003 Missouri Teacher of the Year and a success story for at-risk student-intervention programs. Furthermore, she holds a master’s degree and certification in special education and remedial reading.

“At-risk intervention programs are expensive,” she said in her address at the October Teacher of the Year banquet. “But I am living proof that at-risk remediation programs are well worth the investment. The reading clinic taught me that a disability does not have to become a handicap. The stronger my reading skills became, the more confident I became, and the more I knew I could achieve. I learned to compensate for my disabilities and build on my strengths. I learned that effort makes the difference, and not everybody learns in the same way or at the same pace. Sometimes you have to practice more and study longer to reach your goal. Being smart is about determination, commitment and effort. Once I could read and had the formula, it was honor roll from that point on.”

Ferguson, a 33-year St. Louis Public School teacher, is the coordinator of Title I instruction at Laclede Elementary School in St. Louis. A math teacher for 27 years, Ferguson says she believes every school should have both reading- and math-intervention programs if our goal is to “leave no child behind.”

In a conversation about what message she will share as the Missouri Teacher of the Year, Ferguson sited the following three points at the top of her list:

Never give up on students.
Leading Ferguson’s priority messages as Missouri’s Teacher of the year is a reminder to Missouri’s teachers to consider the power they have to turn students on or off to learning and a request that they never put limits on what students can achieve. “Believe in your students and help them believe in themselves,” she says. “Remember students have different learning styles, and be persistent in your efforts to reach all students through different teaching strategies.”

Empathize, but don’t sympathize.
Ferguson teaches many children who are overwhelmed with environmental circumstances.

“We teach the whole child,” she says. “What goes on in the child’s life at home will no doubt affect the child’s ability to stay in the learning zone at school. When the electricity is cut off or a child’s family is evicted, and her belongs are put out on the side walk, survival is the child’s priority. Often, we can’t fix what is going on outside the school, but the school can be a source of stability and support. We can offer hope and can help children in crisis see that getting a good education will help them prepare for a better future. Teachers must constantly remind students that life is full of obstacles, but winners overcome and press on to victory.”

Empower students.
Ferguson recommends that teachers help students build confidence in their abilities to control their own futures.

“Students must learn that everyone is accountable for his or her own actions,” Ferguson explains. “Good choices lead to rewards and success. Poor choices lead to negative consequences. The motivation to cooperate and comply may start with extrinsic rewards from the teacher. Ultimately, however, the successful student’s motivation must come from within. We may ask students how we can help them solve problems, but students should not always rely on teachers for solutions. When problems occur, the teacher should be a facilitator and a good listener. Students need to be taught conflict-resolution skills and be expected to resolve issues on their own or in collaboration with others.”

The bottom line, Ferguson says, is helping children build social and academic skills that will help them grow into productive, employable adults.

“Teachers have the awesome job of preparing tomorrow’s work force,” Ferguson says. “We must empower, encourage and hold high expectations for all students.”

Ferguson offers "fireproofing" tips to help teachers avoid professional "burnout." Vist www.mnea.org/teach/burnout.htm for Ferguson's eight tips to help keep your cool when the profesional heat in on.

By Debra Angstead
MNEA communications director