"I hope to be remembered for pursuing a noble calling with zest," says Mary Beth Greenway, a teacher of upper level and advanced placement English at Little Rock's Parkview Arts/Science Magnet High School. "My classroom is a place where students are expected to think - and think hard," she says. "You won't find an 'MTV' or a 'Trivial Pursuit' education, with flashy facades and little depth or substance, in my classroom; rather, my students are held responsible for rigorous, academic scholarship. I particularly target cogent written work and facility with language as essential tools for expressing ideas, so that their ideas serve them well through confident use." Miss Greenway views teaching as the means by which "students are prepared for life." She tries to "help students understand who they are and find their place in the world." Well aware that academic achievement is not particularly meaningful if it is promoted in a vacuum, Miss Greenway sees it as her equal responsibility to create an environment that encourages students to develop confidence and a sense of values.
