"My philosophy of education tends to be student-centered," says Crandallyn Graham, a teacher of English and social studies at San Diego's Samuel F.B. Morse High School. Mrs. Graham encourages and pays careful attention to student suggestions in designing her curriculum. Her classroom is a place where a reciprocal system of evaluation is regularly put to the test. Mrs. Graham believes that course content is a "vehicle that enables students to discover their skills, talents, and interests." In other words, the lesson in her classroom becomes the pretext for self-discovery. Her teaching approach privileges the learning process, and encourages students to express their opinions and thoughts in a productive exchange. The kind of forum Mrs. Graham tries to create in her classroom helps students define themselves as members of a community. Mrs. Graham also emphasizes the importance for teachers to "work with the home." She sees current efforts in education to establish a parternership between home and school as positive and essential. In April 1993, Mrs. Graham was selected by the Reader's Digest as an American Hero in Education.
University of Northern Colorado, B.A.
