National Teacher of the Year Tells Education School Audience Teachers Must be Willing to Give Their Heart: [unit], Indiana University at Bloomington

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Last Updated: Tue, Feb 13, 2007

National Teacher of the Year Tells Education School Audience Teachers Must be Willing to Give Their Heart

The 2006 National Teacher of the Year told an audience inside the IU Education School Auditorium that she nearly quit her job as a teacher on the very first day. Kimberly Oliver spoke on Monday, February 12 for the “Aspire to Teach, Teach to Inspire” lecture presented by the School of Education’s Office of Recruitment and Retention.

Oliver said her first kindergarten class at Broad Acres Elementary in Silver Spring, MD featured five crying kids, and another tried to run from the room. Only a call to the principal who came to calm the classroom allowed her to proceed. But she said things got better.

Things had to get better for her school. Maryland threatened to restructure it because of continuing poor scores on standardized tests. Oliver helped lead a turnaround. In 2001, Broad Acres surpassed all other schools in the system for test score improvement. Scores met or exceeded “No Child Left Behind” standards in 2003, 2004 and 2005.

Oliver said she had never heard of the National Teacher of the Year program when fellow teachers nominated her for state honors last year. So winning the distinction came as a great surprise. She stopped in Bloomington as part of her year-long tour to speak about education issues and how she worked on problems at Broad Acres Elementary. One thing she emphasized to future and present teachers: there will be days like her first one at Broad Acres. “Many days will not be perfect,” Oliver said. “And it’s okay.”

Her collaborative projects include getting grants to supply students with better equipment and learning materials. But she also invites families into the school for a serving of reading and food. Four times a year, she sponsors “Books and Supper Night.” Families visit the school, check out books from the library, get some free books to keep at home, and share dinner with other families. A fellow teacher says Oliver’s skills are those of a teaching veteran, “far beyond her years.”

Education equity is a major theme Oliver emphasizes as she speaks around the country. She told her IU audience that it is a primary drive of her work in Maryland. Her projects are designed to get more parents involved in their child’s education. “We have to be willing to give our heart to students each and every day to address equity,” Oliver said.

The National Teacher of the Year program began in 1952 and remains the most prestigious honor for excellence in teaching. A committee of 14 representatives from national education organizations selects the national winner among the state teachers of the year selected across the country. Administrators, teachers, and students nominate candidates in each state. The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) oversees the program.

More biographical information on Oliver is available on the CCSSO website at:

http://www.ccsso.org/projects/national_teacher_of_the_year/national_teachers/8144.cfm

Mp3 Sound bites with Oliver:

On encouraging people to enter teaching: “And I do tell them that teaching is hard work. It is rocket science and not anyone can do it. But you have to be skillful, and it is something that you have to continuously work on in trying to perfect your craft, no matter how long you’ve been teaching because children change.”
On improving her Maryland school: “And in order to turn that around, we knew that one, we needed to really invest in teachers and really increase the capacity of teachers and give them the type of professional development and training that’s necessary for teachers to make the difference in the lives of children. Because we know that out of all of the things that affect student achievement that really that number one factor is teacher quality.”

For more information, contact:

Chuck Carney
Director of Communications and Media Relations
IU School of Education
Office: (812) 856-8027
ccarney@indiana.edu

Ghangis D. Carter
Director of Recruitment and Retention
IU School of Education
(812) 856-8002