Cathy

Nix is known among students at Rising Starr

Middle School as a tough teacher, but she's only

as hard on the kids as she is on herself.

Nix

was recently recognized for her professionalism

Team.

Alumni

of Nix's language arts classes know she will

track down any suspect information that appears

in a paper, calling them, if necessary, from the

library for an explanation.

Nix

may be a stickler for detail, but she is also

creative and innovative in her approach to

teaching writing skills.

"Cathy

Nix has spent her entire professional career on a

mission to make her students the best writers

possible," said Barbara Bakelaar, principal

at Rising Starr.

"It

is almost like a calling for Cathy, to ensure

that every eighth grade student that she teaches

knows how to write, not only fiction but

expository writing as well," Bakelaar added.

Ever

modest in her acceptance of the USA Today honor,

Nix said she draws her strength from her fellow

teachers who make up her team. "Why am I

good? The secret is my team." She and her

colleagues often cross the boundaries of their

given subjects, with history becoming a part of

language arts when the class studies the

Gettysburg address, for instance.

Underlying

all of Nix's teaching is the belief that

"all people are good; all people have

talents." She refers to the quote by Anne

Frank, "In spite of everything I still

believe people are good at heart."

Her

ultimate goal is to direct students to realize

individual self worth and potential. "By

incorporating literature and writing, students

are empowered to effectively communicate

ideas," she said. "Grammar lessons are

integrated as a component of the writing process

and the grammar book becomes another resource for

making one's writing more expressive and

addressing an audience more appropriately,"

Nix added.

Nix

has been teaching for 15 years, but with her long

hair, preppy clothes and nonstop enthusiasm, she

could easily be mistaken for a student-teacher.

"I'm the luckiest person in the world,"

she exclaimed, perched on a desk in her

classroom. Teaching is what "makes me feel

young; fires me up."

The

eighth grade course of study in Nix's language

arts class is also a journey of self discovery.

She starts with "The Circuit," a story

about a migrant worker who longs for an

education. Discussions about minority issues give

way to a theme of hope and the vision of Abraham

Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr.

The

year's study ends with a look at the Holocaust.

"The

culmination of our year challenges students to

choose their course of action and accept

responsibility to create the America of our

forefathers' dreams," Nix said.

"Teaching

is the most important job in our society, and I

teach with the understanding that I create the

future and my responsibility is to create good,

caring and successful adults."

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