Tuesday, May. 19, 2009

Educator follows his role models

TEACHER

The Sun News asked Carolina Forest High School teacher Todd Scholl, and the other finalists for Horry County Teacher of the Year, to fill out a questionnaire about his role models, what he enjoys about teaching and what the nomination means to him.

Question | What is it about that level/subject matter that you enjoy most?

Answer | I love teaching high school students because they are so full of energy, creativity and passion. They truly keep me young and help me keep things in perspective. I love laughing with them. I also love it when I'm able to reach them.

As I see them develop it makes me feel like I've made a difference. The cool thing is that they make a difference in my life as well. As a broadcast journalism teacher it is exciting to try an get them to harness their youthful exuberance into the creation of videos, podcasts, music, and Web sites. I am fortunate because most of my students enjoy the class. I think that is one of the greatest benefits of being an elective teacher. I also like the freedom I am given to design my curriculum and deliver my standards using the methods I think will be most effective. All teachers should be given this freedom.

Q. | Who has been your role model?

A. | Jesus Christ is my primary role model. His wisdom and profound teachings serve as the model around which I try to build my life. When I choose to sacrifice my will for His I wind up in good places doing good things. Unfortunately I don't always make that sacrifice, but I'm working on it. Christ showed us the way to live. We just have to love one another. We do this by serving others, forgiving others and treating others the way we want to be treated. Christ gave us the ultimate example of this as he was beaten, tortured and nailed to a cross. He loved those who inflicted this violence upon him. He asked God to bless and forgive them. Isn't that incredible? If we all treated each other with this level of compassion imagine what kind of world we would live in. My parents, Thomas and Nancy Scholl, have always been wonderful role models for me. I am blessed to have two incredible parents who were also lifelong teachers. Their dedication to the profession and their students has always left me awestruck. They are genuinely beautiful people and I love them very much.

Gandhi has had a huge impact on me. I admire so much about him. His commitment to nonviolence and active resistance to evil have been inspirational to me. Gandhi fought against injustice, but understood that he could not do so by using violence. He was a man who lived by his principles even when that meant he would suffer. Martin Luther King is another hero of mine. I remember doing a biography about him in elementary school. I admire him so much because he was brave enough to stand up against evil despite numerous threats on his life. Despite these threats he continued to promote truth, freedom, and equality, and America is far better off because King existed. I also consider my children to be role models, and that would include my students. As we grow older we gain a lot of wisdom, but we lose some too. My kids help me hold on to some of that youthful wisdom that I would otherwise lose.

Q. | What does being nominated for Teacher of the Year mean to you?

A. | It's an incredible honor because there are so many incredible teachers in this district. I am very grateful to be in this position and hope to use this opportunity to voice my concerns over the direction in which schools are heading. We are at a critical juncture in the field of education. Economic, social, and technological changes are going to fundamentally transform the way we teach school children. During this transitional period it is going to be essential that educators take back control of their profession. We have allowed external forces to impose their will for too long. I hope I'm able to encourage my colleagues to feel empowered. I'm hopeful that we can soon move away from this assessment-crazy system of education to a more humane system that benefits children. We have an exciting opportunity to build a new operating system on which our schools will run, but teachers must be the programmers, not politicians.Contact CLAUDIA LAUER at 626-0301.