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Karon Phelps, Excellence in Teaching Awardee
Philosophy of Teaching
Lives are like quilts—bits and pieces, joy and sorrow, stitched with love.
Beyond love, I believe education is the greatest gift that can be given to a child. Education is a gift that can never be taken away. Education is not only gleaning information from books but also learning about oneself. It is my challenge as a teacher to provide a secure, nurturing environment so that each student can see all the beauty that he possesses inside and give him a sense of pride. My goal is for each student to see that in this gift of education lies the tools to become successful in life, to believe in himself, and to love himself and the world around him.
A quilter, as I am, looks at a quilt not like a simple blanket, one piece of uncut cloth, the same color and the same texture, but a patchwork masterpiece with many patches, many pieces, many colors, and many sizes. Each piece of fabric becomes a patch in the total design, arranged and rearranged to add some interest and form. Some patches are rosy, bright, and happy; some are gray, dark, and sad. Others have moons and stars, representing hopes and dreams. All the patches are held together by a common thread. As a teacher and a quilter, I see each new class as a patchwork project.
To a quilter, there is nothing more exciting and challenging than starting a new project. Each project begins with sorting and stacking the patches. Occasionally, the quilter finds a patch that is worn and tattered. This patch is set aside. It needs extra attention; it needs to be repaired. With the start of each new school year, a teacher feels the same excitement and challenge. Each year a teacher is assigned a new group of students, and each student becomes a "patch" in the new project. The teacher’s goal is to make each classroom a patchwork masterpiece, but as the teacher begins to arrange the classroom, she may find a student who is worn or tattered and needs repair. This student feels worn and tattered because as he looks inside himself, he finds only negative feelings about attending school. To him, school is a place to feel defeated, both personally and educationally. He thinks he is a troublemaker with no friends and no respect. In reality, he just does not learn as easily as others. He has skill gaps that impede educational progress and make him feel worn and tattered.
Continuing to fit pieces into the patchwork design, the quilter sees a patch that does not show moons and stars, or hopes and dreams. This piece needs to be "fussy cut," or re-cut to find some special quality or design. The teacher, too, finds a student who needs a little extra care to have positive feelings of self efficacy. Not only does the student feel he is a class troublemaker, but upon a second look, he thinks he is not worthy to learn. His living conditions outside the classroom have such an impact upon him that he cannot focus on learning. Daily, he enters the classroom bearing the weight of circumstances that are beyond his control. He cannot appreciate the value of learning. By providing a structured, safe, and inviting classroom at Special Programs, my student begins to gain confidence in his abilities to learn. He begins to believe in our two mottos at Special Programs, "I Can Do it" and "Every Day Is a New Day." If he has a difficult day, he knows that all is forgotten and that tomorrow will be a new start. School becomes a place of acceptance, and he accepts that he is neither bad nor a problem student. He begins to see "moons and stars," and he begins to have hopes and dreams.
"What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside you." Ralph Waldo Emerson
With each little patch arranged, the quilter stitches them together with needle and thread to make an equally unique and magnificent patchwork quilt. The quilt is just like our lives—bits and pieces, joy and sorrow, stitched with love. The experienced quilter learns the art of sewing shreds together and seeing beauty in the multiplicity of patches. No matter how patchwork my class may be at Special Programs, I remember two quilter’s quotes, "When life gives you scraps, make quilt" and "Quilting is a gift you give yourself" My students have given me that gift.
Educational / Professional Background
University Degrees
- 1981 Master of Arts in Science Education, University of Texas at Dallas; Honors: Summa cum laude graduate
- 1975 Teacher Certification; University of North Texas, Denton; Dean's List
- 1974 Bachelors of Science in Medical Technology; University of Texas Health Science Center, Dallas; Honors: Summa cum laude graduate
- 1972 - 1973 University of North Texas Denton; Emphasis: chemistry and biology; Dean's List
- 1972 Associate's Degree in Science and Math; Eastfield College, Mesquite; Dean's List
Teaching Experience
- 2004 - Present; Elementary Special Programs K-8, Plano ISD; Third Grade Teacher, Literacy Specialist, Elementary Team Leader
- 1996 - 2000; Rasor Elementary, Plano ISD; Fifth Grade and Special Education Teacher
- 1994 - 1996; Plano ISD; Long Term Substitute
- 1981 - 1983; Clark High School, Plano ISD; Chemistry and Physical Science Teacher
- 1980 - 1981; University of Texas at Dallas; Environmental Science Teaching Assistant
- 1977 - 1980; Forest Meadows Junior High School, Richardson ISD; Life Science and Math Teacher
- 1976; J. C. Ferguson Junior High School; Arlington ISD; Life Science and Earth Science Teacher
Teaching Certifications
- Lifetime Professional Biology Certificate – Grades 6-12
- Lifetime Provisional Elementary Self-Contained Certificate – Grades 1-8
- Lifetime Provisional Generic Special Education – Grades PreK- 12
- Lifetime Provisional Science Composite – Grades 6-12
- Lifetime Provisional Chemistry Certificate – Grades 6-12
- Lifetime Provisional Biology Certificate – Grades 6-12
- Lifetime Provisional Physical Science Certificate – Grades 6-12
Professional Training Experience
- Subcommittee member for 2009 Reading Textbook Adoption
- Co-Author for two 2009 Plano Education Foundation Grants — "SPC Lending Library" and "Step into Reading"
- Scottish Rite’s Rite Flight Reading Program training
- Region 10 Teacher Preparation and Certification Training
- Region 10 Teacher Preparation and Certification Mentor
- Plano Mentor Training
- New Teacher mentor
- TELPAS Evaluator training
- Plano Team Leader Academy, 2008
- Plano Differentiation Team
- Herman Reading Program training
- Jim Fay Love and Logic Seminar
- The Writing Academy
- PISD Accelerated Reading — Writing Academy
- Marilyn Burns Teaching Mathematics Workshop
- Plano ISD Sheltered Instruction Academy (SIOP)
- Texas Reading Academy
- District PDH trainer
- Science Club Advisor — Forest Meadows Junior High School
- Math and Chemistry tutor
- American Society of Clinical Pathologist — Medical Technologist member
- ATPE member
- Rasor Elementary School Based Improvement Council member
Community Involvement
- PTA Board member — Rasor Elementary
- PTA Committee Chair — Rasor Elementary
- Band Booster Club Committee Chair — Clark High School
- Band Booster Club Committee Chair — Plano East Senior High School
- CoCo Best Robotic competition volunteer
- Den / Webelo Leader and Treasurer, Cub Scout Pack 1220
- Committee member and Merit Badge Counselor — Boy Scout Troop 181
- Boy Scouts of America Circle 10 Council Special Events volunteer
- Library Media Center Director — Hunter’s Glen Baptist Church
- Ordinance Committee Co-Chair — Hunter’s Glen Baptist Church
- General Class Amateur Radio License
- Member Odds and Ends Quilt Group that sponsors the Cuidando Los Niños, a center that offers childcare and therapeutic services to homeless children
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