THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, January 13, 1997 TAG: 9701130038
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY VANEE VINES, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: 108 lines
Now that each of Brian Wright's fourth-graders at Westhaven Elementary School had received a strand of red licorice, the fun part of the day's measurement lesson could begin.
Wright asked several students to guess how many centimeters long the strands were.
The students then used rulers to check the length of their candy themselves: Roughly 20 centimeters. For the moment.
Show me 17 centimeters, Wright called out one recent morning, warning students to nibble carefully to avoid missing the target. Then 13 centimeters. Eight. Two.
The students giggled and chewed and giggled some more. ``I got it!'' several exclaimed after chomping their way to the answers.
The kids were hooked - pumped up enough to eagerly move on to a measuring exercise in their textbooks.
For as long as he can remember, Wright, 26, has always wanted to teach little kids.
As far as stereotypes go, men aren't suited for such a teaching assignment. Many male teachers also tend to gravitate toward middle and high schools because it's often assumed that they're better able to handle rebellious adolescents than children who still enjoy cutting and pasting.
In the Portsmouth school district, for example, only 7.8 percent of elementary teachers are male. In Virginia Beach, thestate's second-largest district, it's 7.1 percent.
But Wright, now in his first uninterrupted year of teaching, doesn't buy into the stereotype.
In fact, he relishes his work, going out of his way to make lessons fast-paced and fun, to connect creativity with the basics, to show that men also can get the job done in an elementary classroom.
``If you allow children to be themselves and to show what they have, show their talents, they'll do it - they'll always come out on top,'' he said.
``. . . I've always known that I wanted to be a teacher and I know that I'm good at what I do. I'm constantly learning things, looking for ways to further my education. I try to give all students a wealth of knowledge and experiences.''
And children, he said, need to learn early that men don't have to be limited to certain roles.
While his students work on assignments, classical melodies emanate from a boom box. On this day, he spotlights Schubert.
Wright started an opera club for his students this school year. Research shows that classical music helps children relax and concentrate, he points out. Through the club, he said, students also get to learn more about the arts.
As part of a language activity last fall, his students ``camped out'' in class. They brought in camping supplies, some of their favorite things from home, and a novel to read and discuss during the reading period.
Last month, he sewed costumes for Westhaven's holiday play.
He's a natural, marveled Westhaven Principal Helen Taylor.
``Everything he does is very polished,'' she said. ``He teaches his children as if they were going to be president of the United States.''
Deborah Frakes said her 9-year-old daughter, Tiffany, is constantly talking about fun projects she does in Wright's class.
``I do know Tiffany's grades are better than they've ever been,'' Frakes said. ``She's always excited about all the things they do.''
Wright, Tiffany said, is more than just a fun teacher, though.
``He's fun and he does stuff all the kids like,'' she explained.
There is a warm feeling in Wright's classroom, where almost every available space is taken up by message posters - like the one that says ``Learning is Fun'' - maps, books and colorful figurines.
The children respond to both the structure and the freedom.
For example, the students automatically knew that the beginning of math period was the time to have their homework on their desks, along with their weekly homework assignment sheets, which are supposed to be signed by a parent or guardian.
``I don't see only `a child in a desk,' '' Wright, a meticulous guy with a rapid-fire way of speaking, said later.
``I realize that when a child comes to your classroom, they come with many experiences - good, bad or indifferent.
``As a teacher, it's my job to see the child as a person with an identity and to help shape that child as positively as possible,'' he said.
He has studied multicultural education to learn how to reach children by showing their varied experiences and backgrounds in everything from lessons to books.
Wright's also clear about how he wants students to view him: as a positive black man who's trying to make a difference.
As an undergraduate at Norfolk State University, the Suffolk native fulfilled his student-teaching requirement in the Norfolk school district.
He also had worked at NSU's child development lab. He graduated from NSU two years ago with a degree in early childhood education.
That fall, he entered a master's program in early childhood and elementary education at New York University on a full academic scholarship.
He completed his studies at NYU last summer. The Westhaven job brought him to Portsmouth, where he's already distinguished himself beyond the district. A national group of educators recently recognized a curriculum he designed in graduate school to teach children interpersonal skills.
Wright ultimately sees himself as a university professor instructing prospective early-childhood teachers and spreading the word among men and women alike that the classroom is the place to be for dedicated and talented young professionals.
``Now when you say, `I'm a doctor or a lawyer,' people say, `Omigawd! That's great. That's wonderful!'
``When you say you're a teacher, it's like, `Really? Oh. That's cute.' They definitely don't get excited,'' he said. ``It shouldn't be that way.'' ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]
``HE'S A NATURAL''
JIM WALKER
Brian Wright, 26, teaches fourth grade at Westhaven Elementary
School in Portsmouth.
KEYWORDS: EDUCATION PROFILE