The Sun
Sunnyvale's Newspaper

Photograph by Skye Dunlap

Naomi Lyall was chosen as Sunnyvale Elementary School District's teacher of the year for her hard work and flexibility. 'I don't look at what I do as out of the ordinary,' Lyall said. 'If there's a need to fill, and I feel like I can help, then I'll do it.'

Columbia teacher honored

By Steve Enders

Naomi Lyall's daily routine has changed quite a bit over the past year, but not because of her recent award as Sunnyvale's teacher of the year.

Lyall, now an assistant principal at Columbia, taught eighth-grade science courses until she was asked to fill a vacant administration position midway through the year.

Her situation has changed drastically since then because she's had to temporarily abandon her classroom for the office position. Lyall's days were once filled with structured lesson plans. Now she spends most of her time dealing with the many complex and spontaneous problems that come through her door.

"They've asked me to come back, but I think I want to be back in the classroom," Lyall said, adding that she's privileged to have the opportunity to fill the position. "In the classroom I get to accomplish goals; I'm in control. Here I'm in response mode."

Lyall has been working at Columbia for four years, teaching eighth-grade science with an occasional sixth-grade class here and there.

She and the other teachers in the science department like to emphasize hands-on learning in labs, which take place two to three times a week.

"I tend to be real down to earth with [the students]," she said. "There's got to be a real personal level. I try to develop that."

Helping her get on the kids' level is a troop of iguanas and other animals including snakes and fish in the science room. At nearly 3 feet long, "Iggy" is the kids' favorite because he's catlike when rubbed on the back or belly.

"In the eighth grade, the curriculum isn't really biology, so they like to see the animals," she said while putting Iggy back on his stand.

"To win the award for our site was pretty overwhelming. Then I got the call last Friday, and that was even more overwhelming," she said. "There are so many others who could be sitting in my seat now. It's an honor from your peers, that's the good thing about it."

In the Sunnyvale School District's,teacher-of-the-year process, teachers are nominated and chosen by the faculty at each individual school.

Next, their paperwork goes to the district, where a committee made up of a parent and past winners of the award interviews the candidates.

"I didn't even know the interview existed until it happened," Lyall said.

During the interview, Lyall had to answer questions relating to her classroom techniques and extracurricular involvement.

Rachel Hamlin, the district's associate superintendent for human resources, said Lyall stood out because her activities outside of school.

"One of the areas Naomi was excellent in was her extracurricular involvements and her church work," Hamlin said, adding that her willingness to fill the hole in administration at the school was a definite plus.

Away from school, Lyall volunteers at the Granite Creek Church in Scotts Valley in music and youth programs as well as landscaping, child care and other community service projects.

"I don't look at what I do as out of the ordinary," Lyall said. "If there's a need to fill and I feel like I can help, then I'll do it."

Because she's single and has no children, she's able to spend time doing what she loves to do, and she considers those she works with at school and church her family.

In Lyall's four years at Columbia, she said she's come to learn the needs of Columbia's neighborhoods and is able to apply those to her lessons in the classroom. Because she's just recently found that balance, she said, she's eager to get back in the classroom to apply it.

Teaching kids who don't know English well, have family problems at home or are prone to moving often presents some of the toughest problems she's had to face there.

"The bottom line is that it's just good teaching," she said. "We need to do a good job with the few moments we have with them."

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This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, June 3, 1998.
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