William Twyman is the assistant principal of Glasgow Middle School in Glasgow. Mr. Twyman believes that teachers must have great reserves of compassion and understanding, and that "caring for the well-being of students" may be the most important feature of today's teacher. Academic knowledge and intellectual excellence may be the educator's prerequisite, but for Mr. Twyman an educator's most pressing challenge is to instill a sense of hope in the students. "Hope and caring have a way," he says, "of rubbing off on the students." In fact, Mr. Twyman thinks that the "school is the last institution that can offer hope" in a world where hope has become a rarity. Mr. Twyman privileges a spirit of open communication with all segments of the school community, and he believes that education should be perceived as a community-wide responsibility. Mr. Twyman's adherence to a program of openness and exchange is evident both in his work as an administrator and as a teacher. He would like to see his ideas on collaborative efforts pursued in an educational project that would encourage teachers to attend one another's classes.
Western Kentucky University, B.A.
