From the very first day of school, ninth and tenth grade students taking Lee Silva's biology class know they're in a very unusual classroom. It's not just the Dallas Stars paraphernalia hanging from the walls that reflects Silva's fanaticism for hockey; it's the unconventional way their teacher begins the course.

She says, "Ladies and gentlemen, we're not going to spend any time today learning about biology." Student reactions range from confusion to relief. She continues, "We are going to spend the next nine months together, so we'd better take some time to learn about each other." She and her class then spend the rest of the period introducing themselves and telling stories.

"If you show students that you respect and care about them as individuals, they are more likely to respond and engage in learning," says Silva.

It was that unique approach to teaching, and her passion for her students, that earned Silva the 2000 Plano ISD Secondary Teacher of the Year award in only her third year on the job. The next youngest finalist for the honor had been teaching for nearly 20 years.

Beyond receiving an engraved plaque, she was awarded money ("I hadn't seen a check that big since I got my student loans at Southwestern"), a plane ticket to anywhere in the country, a night at a luxury hotel, and even a free sandwich from Chick-Fil-A ("My last meal would be from Chick-Fil-A"), among other things.

Although it was an unexpected surprise, Silva admits being named Teacher of the Year had been a goal in the back of her mind since the day she started teaching. "I knew another Southwestern alumnus who won the award (Craig McKinney '91), and I modeled my approach after him. Everyday when I planned my lesson, I thought, 'How would Craig teach this material?'"

"As a teacher, you wear many hats - you're a teacher, a parent, a nurse and a friend. The trick is knowing when to wear each one."

Given her passion for teaching, one might be surprised to learn that Silva came to Southwestern with aspirations of being a doctor. In fact, it wasn't until her junior year that she decided against a career in medicine.

"I had been a private tutor at SU and in high school. I even taught my tenth grade math class a couple of times after our teacher had to take medical leave for her daughter. Everyone around me seemed to think I'd make a great teacher, so I ended up spending an extra year at Southwestern to complete my degree, and here I am."

What might be even more surprising is that Silva doesn't plan on teaching for long. She envisions moving to the East coast, going to law school and eventually working in biotechnology patent law. "I'll probably go through about ten career changes," she says. "Who knows, someday I might even end up teaching law."

She admits she's not going anywhere until she completes her masters of education degree at the University of North Texas. For now, she's quite happy teaching high school biology.

"How many people can say they go to work every day and play? I get up there and show the students that science is cool. I have one of the few jobs where there is never a dull moment." At least, not in Ms. Silva's class.

-Greg Holland