Adele came to North Caroline High in 2001 and teaches anatomy, physiology, biology, and earth science. She sponsors a host of after school activities and clubs, tutors after school and attends nearly all school athletic events. She has been selected by North Caroline's student body as their 2004 commencement speaker.

How has the way you teach changed over the years? What lessons have you learned?

I integrate more technology into my lessons to supplement both the lab and lecture portions of my courses. I have learned to differentiate my instruction whenever possible, and to always keep my students busy.

What advice would you give to a teacher who's starting their first year and feels overwhelmed?

Be positive and do your best every day. Let your students see your enthusiasm for what you teach and it will motivate them to want to learn.

What role does technology play in your classroom? What are its strengths and weaknesses?

I use technology to supplement many lessons I teach. I have a CD-ROM that corresponds to my anatomy and physiology textbook, and I can show my students the inside of organs and tissues by giving them a virtual tour. I also have a CD-ROM that goes along with my Advanced Placement biology course that allows students to label diagrams and receive immediate feedback if they are correct or incorrect. Additionally, I have a projector so that I can show PowerPoint lessons to my students.

The strengths of using technology are that students generally like to work on computers, so it motivates them to complete their work. Additionally, a PowerPoint lesson may allow an entire class to view important concepts together, and many computer activities are interactive which keeps students' attention longer than a lecture. The downfall of technology: reliability. Sometimes you cannot log onto the Internet successfully, or the presentation does not run due to a malfunction of a part.

What do you think is the key to your success?

Personalizing my students' education. When a students sees you outside of the classroom supporting them at a sporting event or school play, they realize you care about them. I think it has made my classroom instruction much more effective.