English teacher Mary Nell Anthony is so committed to giving her students all the help they need that she provides them with her home phone number, cell number and email address. She also conducts frequent after-school study sessions at the library and local bookstore. In her classroom, Ms. Anthony maintains rigorous standards and holds students accountable for their work; at the same time, she creates lessons that are interesting and thought-provoking, incorporating history, science, art, music and even math. Her students have been known to become so immersed in the subject matter that they often conduct further explorations on their own. A National Board Certified Teacher, Ms. Anthony incorporates technology into her classroom, including a student Web site that she created featuring study guides and supplemental support for struggling readers and writers. And when it comes to helping her colleagues Ms. Anthony is equally generous with her time, conducting seminars at the local college, leading in-service workshops, piloting programs and mentoring student teachers. Her motto is a quotation from Benjamin Franklin, who is said to have begun each day with the question, "What good can I do today?" Students and colleagues whose lives have been impacted by Mary Nell Anthony would say she does a lot of good every day.
