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February 19, 1999/3 Adar 5759, Vol. 51, No. 21
From the 'old school'Award-winning teacher finds joy in long service to job and communityLOU HIRSH
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 Terri Fields |
Terri Fields takes a different approach to her work.
The Sunnyslope High School teacher has been at the school for 29 years, and couldn't be happier with how things have turned out. Her students and colleagues agree, and she has many admirers inside and outside the northern Phoenix school and community that she has served with such devotion.
Fields' work is also known by the people who have read one or more of the 14 books and hundreds of magazine articles she has penned. She has written on teaching techniques and other adult non-fiction topics, as well as publishing children's fiction.
She also has captured numerous high-profile awards.
Most recently, last October, USA Today selected her to its "All-USA Teacher Team," a recognition of the top 23 teachers in the country.
And there are more accolades to come. On Thursday, Feb. 25, the YWCA of Maricopa County will honor her and nine other local women with its annual Tribute to Women Award, given to those whose community contributions help empower women and fight racism.
Fields teaches English and communication arts classes at Sunnyslope High, located at Central and Dunlap avenues in North Phoenix. The school's ethnically diverse, high-achieving student population of about 1,200 reflects the community it serves, Fields says. The opportunity to serve that community has been a major driving force in her teaching work over the years.
Her tenure at Sunnyslope represents her entire teaching career; she began working for the school soon after graduating from the University of Arizona.
"When I went to interview here, the principal told me, 'We're not looking to hire someone who's just looking for a job. Working at this school means having a dedication to the community,' " Fields recalls. She and her husband, Rick, a retired pharmacist, moved to the north Phoenix neighborhood soon after Terri began her work at Sunnyslope.
Fields takes inspiration from the idea that she is conveying to her students skills that will help them lead more fulfilling lives. "It's vital for them to know how to communicate. They need to express what they are thinking and feeling," she says.
Her dedication to her students extends beyond class hours. Late in the afternoon, she often may be found coaching the school's award-winning debate team, an activity she shares with her husband, who volunteers his time at the school.
Terri Fields also advises the school's drama club. She says it's the enthusiasm of the kids - the response they give in return for the time she puts into the job - that makes the effort worthwhile. "That keeps me involved and enthusiastic. Things never get old. There's always another group of students to work with," she says. "The job is always becoming something new for me.
"It has been a joy to teach here," she adds. "In fact, it's gotten to where I am now teaching the children of some of my former students."
The thousands she's taught there also have included her own two children.
"Looking back, some of the favoritism I might have given to other students, my kids never got in the classroom," she says. "They probably didn't understand it at the time, but I think they appreciated it later."
Her daughter, Lori, is now in law school, and her son, Jeff, is a junior at U of A.
Fields says one key to reaching students is making sure not to bore them. It's vital to convey to them how material relates to the real world. "You need to show students how things apply to life today; otherwise it's just dry information and they won't take anything from it," she says.
Fields amazes her colleagues with the energy and passion she continues to invest in her work, and with the results she gets. Sunnyslope Principal Owen Layton, who taught with Fields in the 1970s, says students consistently win writing and debating awards due in large part to Fields' high standards of excellence.
"She is not satisfied to let students perform at anything less than their true ability," Layton says, noting that her insistence on quality and her natural rapport with students make a lasting impression on them.
"People who had her as a teacher years ago come back here to say thanks to her. She's made an incredible impact on people's lives."
Layton believes Fields and Sunnyslope are a good match. Fields' philosophy is shared and emulated by other teachers at the school, where the average teacher tenure is 18 years, Layton notes.
"We have a lot of families who move to this district to send their kids to this school, and Terri is a big part of that," Layton says. "She's always vibrant and full of life, and that shows when she's with the kids. She lights up the room whenever she walks in. She's a really good role model for the kids."
Janet Elsea, president of the YWCA's board of directors, says Fields' leadership in the education arena, along with her diligent work in her community, made her deserving of the Tribute to Women award in the educator category.
"We're recognizing her for what she's done in her career," Elsea said. "She's one of those people who you watch (with admiration) and then say to yourself, 'What have I done lately?' "
Fields grew up in a Reform Jewish household in Denver, and as a teenager was involved in groups such as B'nai B'rith Girls. She met her future husband while both she and Rick were still students at U of A. They've been married 28 years.
When she began her own family, Fields says, she was involved in the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center and with other Jewish organizations, but in recent years the time demands of her teaching and writing have limited her participation. But she says the lessons of her upbringing have stayed with her and are reflected in her approach to raising and educating children.
"I'm Jewish, and I'm proud to be Jewish," she says.
And Fields says she hasn't forgotten what convinced her to pursue teaching - the chance to interact with students and shape their lives in a lasting way. And there have been several instances where she has received dividends in return.
For example, last October Fields returned from a visit to USA Today's headquarters in Arlington, Va., where she officially received her "All-USA" teaching honor, to be recognized for the award by loud cheers from students and staff during half-time ceremonies at Sunnyslope's homecoming football game.
"Anyone who loves teaching does it because they really care about the students," she says as she recalls that event. "To get this kind of feedback in return is really gratifying."