Susan Camille Ely • Booker T. Washington, Music

“Music has been a very important part of my life, and my goal is to share the joy I’ve found through music with my students. I feel it is important that children be given time to improvise and create music in various styles using the elements they’ve learned. Each child should feel he or she has an important place in the class and be given the opportunity to contribute according to his or her ability. Creating their own music not only provides students with a sense of ownership, but also provides them with motivation for music literacy when they want to preserve their compositions. I hope that my students leave my class with a life-long love of music making.”

Leigh Ann Finley • Rosa Parks Elementary, Kindergarten

“I ran across this quote many years ago and it continues to sum up exactly how I feel about children and education; 'The only thing that stands between us and a perfect world is what we teach our children.' It’s amazing how much weight those words carry!”

Mary Freitag • Ashland Elementary, Special Education, Grades 3-5

“All students should be given the desire to learn.”

Jason Withrow • Jessie Clark Middle, Math/Social Studies

“Believe in the incredible power of the mind. Of doing something that makes a difference. Of laughing and hoping. Of lasting friends and working hard. Know, though, that things worth doing seldom come easy. Because with an idea, determination, and the right tools, you can do great things.”

John Krueger • Lafayette High School, German

“The prerequisite for being a good teacher is being a Mensch, a real person that students can approach, trust, and relate to. Teaching, above all, is about “being there.” We need more teachers in the world, just as we need more Menschen. ”