Karen
Pollard, Excellence in Teaching Awardee
 Vines
High School
10th Grade English/History/Journalism
Philosophy
of Teaching
Educational/Professional
Background
School
Principal Comments
Philosophy of Teaching
As an educator of the twenty-first century, I believe that
my role is to instill within my students a love of
learning and to provide them the necessary skills
to contribute to society through
their own uniqueness. I want them to appreciate the
genius of the past, but more importantly, I want
them to value and use their individual
gifts and talents for their own benefit and for the
benefit of humankind. However, an educational philosophy
without realistic implementation
proves worthless; initiating a plan to serve this
purpose presents a paradox: The emphasis of standardized
testing, an attempt to assure
quality, presents a dilemma. A regulated attempt
to encourage excellence often results in mediocrity.
Furthermore, ironically, the promotion
of the individual demands a unified team effort,
and in order to encourage the students to think rather
than merely regurgitate information, they
must be treated as individuals.
It is a difficult
task to balance the tight rope of accountability
and creativity, but I am more fortunate than many because of the subject
that I teach.
I teach
humanities, a subject which emphasizes the foundations of my educational philosophy:
Students must learn the rules, and they must learn from the past. Simply knowing
the rules demonstrates only competency; true brilliance knows the rules well
in order to have the confidence to break them. That is what I want for my students.
My role is to guide my students to the realization
of the importance of learning the standards of a
discipline to better themselves as individuals, not
to pass
a test. As an educator, I feel that it is my job to teach them to think. When
I am successful in this, my students’ passing of the state-regulated objectives
is a culmination of learning, rather than a test of minimum competency. My team
provides an environment of active learning. For example, we build Greece, experience
a crusade, and reenact the Baroque time through a picnic. If standardized objectives
are casually supported through the study of the arts and literature generically
and through active learning, they seem more relevant.
In addition, the students
realize the importance of the skills and do not simply memorize facts for
the sake of test taking. Active learning is continuous.
My role is to simply whet
their appetites so that they want more. When they want more, they become
masters of their own education.
I have learned through
my own experiences, both personally and professionally,
that the learning process is different for all. I am the mother of a dyslexic
child. Although my son’s disability inhibited his academic success
somewhat, it certainly did not limit his ability to contribute. The struggles
that my own
child experienced make me a better teacher.
My students receive the same
individual attention I would hope that my own child would receive. Throughout
the years,
I have worked with several students who struggle every day with academic
disabilities. I must balance the child’s individual educational needs
against the tendency to enable. This proves a delicate balance, but a necessary
one. The creative
presentation of our lessons makes this challenge less daunting.
A good
educator must be a team player. Creativity spawns creativity. I have
been fortunate to be blessed with mentors and colleagues
who have
influenced
my teaching
and my philosophy. Without two specific mentors, Anne Best and Linda
Walkup, I would not be the teacher that I am today.
We must be able to learn from
each other, and I have learned from the best.
Anne was an immeasurable
influence academically, but more importantly, she taught me the priority
of teaching
students as individuals.
Although Anne is no longer alive, her experience lives through me,
and my students
benefit. Linda shows me that good planning is essential to good teaching.
Good planning cannot be accomplished without the cooperation of others.
Teachers must work together on both the vertical and horizontal levels.
Together,
we
best influence
our students.
I have learned through experience and through my
mentors that I am not only a teacher: I am a facilitator
and a navigator, and most importantly,
I am
a student.
Educational
/ Professional Background
Experience
- 1980 to present:
Plano Independent School District
Teacher of English (1980-1997)
Teacher of history, humanities (1997-present)
Journalism advisor (1980-1984)
Yearbook advisor (1980-1984; 1986-1987)
Vines Academy teacher (at-risk students) (2000 to present)
Employment Highlights
- 1980-81 Vines High School Beginning Teacher
of the Year
- Blue-Ribbon vertical team
- Honored at National
Merit banquet every year since its inception in
1998
- 1999 Plano Futures Foundation Winner
- Two-time
Disney award nominee (2000, 2004)
- Honored at convocation
in student speeches (2001, 2003)
- PTO Life-time member
award (2004)
- Teacher of the month WBAP radio station
(2003)
- Nominated for humanities teacher of the year
(2004)
Areas of Expertise/Responsibilities
- Textbook committee
member (English, both regular and honors)
- Textbook
committee member (history)\
- Curriculum writer (English)
- Curriculum writer
(history, regular and honors)
- Member of Smaller
Learning Communities Grant Task Force
- Member of
Campus Improvement Committee
- Author of the Mapping
for Academic and Personal Success (Mapps) course
(Approved for all 9th/10 grade students by the
local board and TEA
As a result of the smaller learning communities
research).
Effective/Motivating speaker
- Classroom lectures/activities (Lecture/activity
for every major unit of study)
- Defender of Vines
High School at School-board meeting during zoning
controversy
- Presenter of Mapps course to the Smaller
Learning Communities Grant
- Steering Committee
and to the Plano ISD Board of Trustees
- Presenter
of curriculum for blue-ribbon committee
- Presenter
of modeling classroom assignments to PISD teachers
through
vertical teaming
- Presenter of modeling teacher strategies
to other districts within the metropolis
- Presenter
of true-colors personality assessment test and
analysis
- Ability to work with teachers and students
of all grade levels to ensure success at the high
school level (Teaming with other high school teachers
for lesson planning during summer 2000-2001)
- Utilization
of consistent motivational techniques in the classroom
- Continued
education through attendance of workshops specializing
in reaching diverse learners (Learning
Styles, True Colors, Curriculum Writing)
- Ability
to effectively organize and plan (Major unit projects:
Medieval crusade, Baroque picnic, field
trips, Building of Greek city states)
- Genuine concern
for students and colleagues (Compilation of letters
from past students)
- Facilitator of the concept of
team work through vertical and horizontal teaming
(Blue-ribbon social studies team)
Community Service
- Lakeway Family Church
·
Actively involved in Women’s Ministry
· Decorating committee
Education
- B.S. Texas Tech University
Major: History/English
School
Principal's Recommendation
I am honored to recommend for your consideration
Vines High School's candidate for PISD Experienced
Teacher of the Year for 2004-05. Karen Pollard is
the ultimate example of a caring teacher.
Karen is loyal to her school and her district and
she has dedicated her life to her profession. Karen
has been teaching at Vines since 1980. Karen has
taught in our English department and currently teaches
in our Social Studies department as well as teaching
PACE at Vines.
Karen also helped develop the Vines Academy for
at risk students and teaches in that program as well.
By developing her skills and art over the years,
Karen has become a master teacher at Vines High School.
Karen also worked on the team that developed the
PISD transition program for students moving from
eighth to ninth grade in PISD.
Karen expects excellence from her students no matter
if they are PACE students or Academy students. The
thing that sets Karen apart from many skillful teachers
is her ability and desire to develop relationships
with her students. Her expectation for excellence
from her students combined with the ability to make
her students feel comfortable and important allows
Karen to expose her students to a level of education
that few others will ever experience.
Karen has a complete understanding of her subject
and uses her skills to bring lessons and challenges
to life. Karen uses all her skills to motivate her
students to do more and be more than they thought
they could. Karen's classes are alive with thought,
with activity, with ideas and with students urged
and nudged to levels they did not think possible.
Karen is an important part of the faculty at Vines.
Other teachers seek her out for her ideas and direction
on a variety of topics. Karen's easy to talk with
personality and her desire to do all she can for
her students attracts other teachers to her for information
and advice. Karen is well respected by her peers
at Vines and contributes to all facets of school
life in our building.
Karen is a special person and a special teacher
who makes a diffrence in the lives of her students
everyday. For these reasons, I recommend Karen Pollard
for the PISD Teacher of the Year.
Thank you for your consideration,
Benny Smith, Principal
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