The faculty and staff of Klein Intermediate School is happy to announce the selection of Ms. Isabel Escauriza as teacher of the year 2007 - 2008.

This past school year, I taught three classes of English Language Arts to sixth grade students. Over 91% of my students passed the Reading TAKS test. Over 29% of my students scored Commended on the TAKS Reading test, which is the highest achievement level possible with the state accountability system. This beats the state average for 6th grade Commended performance in Reading last year.

This school year I am excited about the opportunity to be a pioneer for the AVID program in our district! AVID is a college prepatory program that takes students in the middle and gives them a rigorous curriculum. This rigorous curriculum is what prepares and gives students that extra push needed to go on to college. Several of the students I am working with, will be the first in their family to attend college. These students will receive extensive training and support inside the AVID elective class. This initiative is critical for our campus as we continue to challenge our students.

I love working with all of our students! I have tried to build a great rapport with all of them, even the ones that I don't teach. I feel that rapport with the students is what makes the difference in their success. They just need to know that someone cares for them at school.

We're proud to announce that our Klein Intermediate School Teacher of the Year is Michelle Carter, serving in the Language Arts Department.

Education: BA, Prairie View A&M (1993)
MA, Counseling (2006-present)

Locally, with my church, I visit the elderly and sick of the church, as well as other elderly assisted living dwellings. I also work with the youth ministry. I am a sponsor of a school-community initiative to help the underserved population of students at our school reap the benefits of positive mentoring. I also work with the Sylvester Turner youth baseball league. I am a team mom in which I rally parents together in support of their children while gaining the fundamentals of baseball, camaraderie, and discipline. I have also worked with the North Harris County Commission Football League for 4 years.

I believe that one teaches first through character being above reproach. I don't mean that Teachers don't make mistakes; but that it is hard to influence a generation if you air your mistakes before impressionable minds. Years ago teachers maintained "old family values". Single, Married, or Married with children, we should be trendsetters, so that this new generation sees a better life than the one portrayed on TV, in the media and sometimes at home. That doesn't mean I don't have problems and have not made mistakes, but it has been my goal not to bring them to school with me. You have to separate home and school. School needs to be a safe haven for the intellectually starved, the mentally teachable and the physically energetic.

I believe that learning does take place, if the students trust their teacher, respect them and if the teacher actually teaches them. I believe the major issues in public education today are testing, teacher turn-over and legislation on "No Child Left Behind"(NCLB). Testing, I believe is here to stay. I am not upset by this fact, but I do believe that there has to be some measure of retained knowledge. In this global society, we have recognized our declining reign in science and technology. As a country, a state a standard had to be set to insure that democratic way of life would be sustained.

As a creative thinker, an innovative person, not a robot, I deserve the right to teach students without a stigma of failure hanging over my head. The questions are: If a child fails a test, do I fail, does the school fail, have parents failed, did Texas fail, does this means he or she did not learn? There are many unanswered questions about using testing as our only source of measurement to ascertain whether or not a student has mastered a skill.

I am an encourager and mentor to all new teachers that cross my path and I try to be a glimmer of hope to those, who are feeling burned out. I believe that our profession is nothing without innovation and implementation. I am also an advocate of reworking old information and making it become fresh and new again. I try to introduce new ideas and ways of teaching in the classroom. Although I have been teaching eleven years, every year is new. I get new students and a new opportunity to make a new impression on a fertile brain.

I believe in team building, we've all heard that a team is only as strong as its weakest link and there is no "I" in team. Therefore, it is incumbent of me to help elevate my team (content, grade-level, school and district).