An
inspiration who loves her job
Honored teacher trying to picture
student who nominated her.
Monday, October 31, 2005 • By SARAH CASSI • The
Express-Times
Her tools are paintbrushes and pencils,
but art teacher Pamela McFadden's lessons extend beyond
paper and canvas.
McFadden, who has taught for 32 years in
the Phillipsburg School District, was recently selected for
the 2005 edition of ''Who's Who Among America's Teachers''
because of her positive influence on a single
student.
The honor is bestowed on only 5 percent
of the country's teachers. To even be considered, a teacher
must be nominated by students cited in ''Who's Who Among
American High School Students,'' ''Who's Who Among American
High School Students-Sports Edition'' or The National Dean's
List.
Those students nominate one teacher from
their entire academic career, and those nominations go
through a vetting process.
The thing is, McFadden doesn't know who
nominated her because the nomination is
confidential.
McFadden, 53, tried to figure it out on
her own, but she's taught thousands of students during her
time in the district.
"It bugs the heck out of me that I don't
know what it was that I did for that particular student. You
don't ever get to know who it was or what it was," McFadden
said, laughing. "If any of your readers have nominated me,
tell them to call me. I'd like to talk to them about
it."
McFadden said her curiosity is heightened
because she doesn't know which skills made the difference to
the one student; McFadden said it could be sketching or
painting, or something such as art appreciation.
Born and raised in Harmony Township,
McFadden wanted to be a teacher first and then chose fine
arts as her subject.
She said that as a child she loved
pretending to be a teacher. That dream was so important that
McFadden became the first in her family to graduate college;
she holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from Kutztown
University.
McFadden has taught at all grade levels,
from introducing basic shapes and colors to kindergarteners
to watercolor still-life and art appreciation at the high
school level.
Currently, McFadden divides her time
between Green Street School in Phillipsburg and the
Phillipsburg Alternative Secondary School (PASS).
"I think PASS has a reputation of being a
really tough place. I'll tell you, I love it here," McFadden
said. "Some of these kids I've had before in elementary
school, so now I get to follow up on what I taught them then
and try to teach them from where they left off."
PASS Principal Richard Kistler said he
and the school faculty are proud of McFadden, both for her
accolade and what she does every day with the school's
difficult students.
"It's been an academic as well as
therapeutic situation because of the at-risk clientele I
have," Kistler said. "She's done wondrous things with the
kids. She's all business and the kids respond to
that."
McFadden is ushering two senior PASS
students toward higher education through the Senior Option
Program with Lafayette College.
"I have two young ladies who I felt
deserved a chance to understand what is was like at a
college level and maybe look toward a college experience in
the arts. Financially I don't know if they'll be able to do
that, but I'm trying to get them ready for at least a
portfolio presentation," McFadden said.
McFadden said the experiment is
satisfying for her and the students.
"I'm seeing that they're involved because
they're listening, they're paying attention to what's going
on around them, they're giving valid reaction or critique to
other people's work, and they're actually speaking and
presenting ideas in front of other people that they don't
know," McFadden said. "I see them smile. To see these two
young ladies with actual smiles of satisfaction on their
face because they did something well, it's
amazing."
McFadden said she was shocked and humbled
when she learned of her nomination, but now she's enjoying
her recognition.
"I feel very gratified and very
vindicated," she said. "There are days you go home and think
'What did I do today?' (The award) changes the way you look
at things. It just gives you that little seed inside you
that says 'I made a difference.' It's an inspiration to keep
going for the future. It took 32 years."
© 2005 The Express-Times. Used with
permission.
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