Discusses ways of promoting student excellence through recognition of achievement, motivating the reluctant learner, and sustaining a positive learning environment through effective classroom management strategies.

Author Biography

David Scheidecker had been a high school English teacher for 27 years, with 20 of them as the head of an English department. His professional activities included serving as a reader for the Advanced Placement English literature and Composition exam, acting as a consultant to the college board, curriculum design, and miscellaneous instructional concerns. Scheidecker had worked extensively in curriculum design and revision at his own high school. He aslo was recognized as a "Teacher of Merit" by the state school board of Illinois. William Freeman was a middle school social studies teacher for 11 years and a high school principal for 22 years. During his tenure as principal, he taught classes in philosophy to high school students and instructed as an adjunct professor in the educational, administrative, and business master's degree programs for Aurora University and Olivet Nazarene University. Having retired in 2006 from the public sector of education, Freeman continues to work as an educational consultant, an adjunct professor, and holds the position of professional development specialist for the School of Graduate and Continuing Studies at Olivet Nazarene University. In addition to his background in instruction and administration, he has been a North-Central Accreditation facilitator and a trained administrative analyst. His special area of expertise is in effective instructional techniques and strategies. He has written curriculum for gifted students at the middle school level, created a philosophy curriculum for high school students, and has written several instructional modules at the university level to improve classroom instruction and administrative performance. He is a frequent motivational and educational speaker at leadership conferences and instructional workshops. In addition, he has been a baseball, basketball, and track coach, as well as an athletic director, class sponsor, and student council advisor. He was selected as the outstanding administrator in the state of Illinois, recognized as an "Administrator of Merit" by the Illinois State Board of Education, honored as an Illinois Lincolnland Legend, and was awarded the Willis E. Snowbarger Award for Teaching Excellence by Olivet Nazarene University.