Salute to Teachers

by Councilman Scott Peters
June 2002

We all have favorite teachers from childhood who made differences in our lives. Maybe it was an English teacher who opened your eyes to the rich texture of language in Shakespeare, a science teacher who made you dream of life in space, or a coach who showed you how to persevere after losing a hard-fought game. I am especially indebted to Charlie Nier, Susan Dunn and Bob Adriance, my social studies teachers in eighth, ninth and eleventh grades. All of them nurtured my interest in public affairs, civics and government and cheerfully but insistently made sure I was working hard to stretch my ability and understanding. I know it was the challenges they gave me in the 1970s that kept me interested in public service today.

Teachers hold the keys to the future of our communities in San Diego by inspiring our children to become the scientists, inventors, healers, political leaders, and teachers of tomorrow. That is why I was so pleased to be invited to participate in the Crystal Apple Awards on May 16, sponsored by the Latter Day Saints Church in Carmel Valley. The awards honor teachers from around the north county area. The Carmel Valley teachers who were honored at the event were Simeon Greenstein, from Torrey Pines High School, and Debra McVay, from Carmel Valley Middle School. The unique aspect of these awards is that the recipients are nominated and chosen by the students they teach. The selection process allows teachers to be evaluated for qualities that go far beyond the standardized tests that seem to dominate today's learning landscape and instead emphasize a teacher's ability to inspire and stimulate students, communicating both lessons about life and the important subject information they teach.

I was so impressed by this event that I wanted to take a moment in this column to tell you about those Carmel Valley teachers honored with a Crystal Apple.

Simeon Greenstein began his teaching career in 1978. He moved from teaching to become an administrator and spent 16 years in the San Dieguito Unified School District, and the Issaquah School District near Seattle. He returned to San Diego, and to his love of teaching. He now teaches advanced placement government and world history at Torrey Pines High School. Mr. Greenstein said that teaching does not seem like work to him, but is instead a gift. He approaches teaching with the philosophy that "every day I get to unwrap new, ever-more-intriguing presents." Mr. Greenstein reminded us that the key to successful teaching goes beyond imparting knowledge to finding and acknowledging the strengths that each child possesses and showing them how to use those gifts to better the world around them.

Debra McVay teaches English at Carmel Valley Middle School, and was honored with her second award at this year's ceremony. Although she was not able to attend personally, Ms. McVay wrote to express how much she appreciated the honor. She said that the award was "a beautiful way to know the long hours are appreciated by the students." She went on to say that her students "are the future of our great nation and deserve our time and efforts." Ms. McVay's comments summed up the frustration and joys of being a teacher. Often the hard work, long hours, and low pay frustrate teachers and make them question their chosen calling. Though every teacher that I speak with acknowledges the challenges of teaching, they quickly turn positive and tell stories about students they have helped overcome obstacles or kids who go on to do great things. The investments that teachers make in the lives of our kids, return tremendous dividends and should be looked upon as the highest form of public service.

I would like to ask any parent who reads this article to take a moment to thank their children's teachers for their hard work. The Crystal Apple Awards are a wonderful way to recognize the teachers in our community, but we each need to remember individually to thank people often for their service to our kids. Before you talk to that teacher, think about the teacher who made a difference in your life and what you would tell him or her if you had the chance today.