Teacher of the Year
Middle School Floats Her Boat
It seems poetic that the 2009 Rhode Island teacher of the Year, from Newport, arrived at her classroom career via the ocean. Thompson Middle School teacher Barbara Walton-Faria studied to be a marine biologist and, indeed, began her adult life on the sea, as a practitioner. The lure of a reasonable life on land, with a reasonable schedule, however, drew her to the classroom, and a significant realization.
"Teaching is something I always wanted to do," she says. "I just didn’t have enough patience when I was younger."
Turns out, she's a perfect match for her middle-schoolers, who don't have much patience for dry, dull science. "I love the subject, I love the kids. I love to get excited. I feed off their energy."
She's been teaching 8th grade Earth science at Thompson for 16 years, and has been a teacher for a total of 17. But Walton-Faria does more than just show up. She loves curriculum work, was the middle level representative from RI on Tri-State Assessment Committee for the development of Science GSE's and Assessments (04-05), and has mentored other teachers and would-be teachers.
She is active in and has presented workshops for the National Science Teachers Association, the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, and the American Meteorological Society. Somehow, for the Teachers Association of Newport (TAN), she also found time to serve on the Curriculum Study Committee, Evaluation Committee, and as middle school representative.
"It's not only what you do in the classroom - it's everything you do that's related," Walton-Faria said. "I do it for the enjoyment."
"I learned in sports that if you're playing with an inferior team, then you don't try as hard. Here, being surrounded by really good teachers motivates me. Especially in middle school, I'm only as good as the people I work with."
What's next for the Rhode Island Teacher of the Year? "Getting a lot of sub work ready," Walton-Faria laughed. She'll be on the road at home and nationally, including participating in the national conference for teachers of the year.
"I was shocked to make it to the final eight," she said. "Especially in Rhode Island, they look for someone who is just a regular teacher, with a passion for teaching and all it involves. You do your job - you do it the best you can - you think about it between every class. We love our kids - we work our hardest for them."
Her wish is that parents would think about it, too. She implored them, "In a six hour day, we can only go so far. If something doesn't happen at home - we're starting over. We really can't educate fully without you."