Class Acts: Mary Asgill, Turlock High School

Soraya Fregosi nominated Mary Asgill for Class Acts. Fregosi said Asgill is a special, talented and dedicated teacher who pushes her students to "find their voice in writing." Asgill puts on a literary night at the end of the school year to showcase her students' writing and public speaking talents, Fregosi said.

Name: Mary Asgill

City of residence: Delhi

Occupation: English teacher, Turlock High School

Family: Married, three children

Education background: Bachelor's in English; master's in reading; former literacy coach; current Great Valley Writing Project teacher consultant

Teaching experience: 16 years

Why did you get into teaching? When I was in high school, I had an opportunity to volunteer in a literacy program at my church and saw, firsthand, the terrible emotional and economic impact of functional illiteracy on people's lives. I decided to try to help bridge the gap between the haves and have-nots as much as I could.

What is your favorite thing about being a teacher? One of my favorite things is seeing a student who had zero buy-in to education, zero belief that school had anything to offer him, change his mind and decide to give learning a try and change his path.

What is the most challenging part of your job? Balance. Teaching can be very taxing -- especially with 150 students and 150 essays to grade, etc. The work is literally never done, so finding ways to balance teaching demands with life demands can pose a bit of a challenge.

What is the most important lesson you've learned? To continue updating my knowledge and examining my practice. New research, teaching strategies, approaches to curriculum and instruction, brain research, adolescent psychology and the like are all foundations for good teaching practice, so no matter how long a teacher has taught, it's important to learn, unlearn, think and rethink what we do to ensure that we help our students.

What is your favorite teaching tool or activity? Students have grown up in this age of technology, so I've learned to use technology as a tool they can easily use. We have a class wiki, a collaborative reading and writing Web site. I might use the wiki to post a video clip about a current event, or a radio interview with an author, or a scholarly article. Then in small groups, we meet online, using the discussion board to analyze and evaluate the work. We then write, collaboratively, about it. The wiki allows students to tap into their knowledge of technology but also learn to read multiple texts -- texts that come in the form of images and sound as well as alphanumeric forms.

What's next in your classroom? I will ask students to engage in problem-based learning. In the past we have tackled problems in education, the environment, the economy and the like. This year, our focus will be on community. The central question will be this: What is the relationship and responsibility of the individual to his or her community, and what problems exist within that community that can be solved? I will ask them to look at, understand and try to solve real-world problems within their communities.

What advice do you have for students? Students should always believe that they can achieve the goals they set for themselves and take the steps to put plans in motion. I try to help my 11th- and 12th-grade students understand that high school is very different from the real world, so they'll need a plan. I help them stay focused on life after high school by having them research the steps they will take after graduation, whether it's college, military, the workplace or vocational school.