Fleischakin' it up in the English classroom

"She always says she's no fun. I remember when she first got her car. It was beige on the outside, gray on the inside, and she said, ‘sort of like me,'" says English Resource Teacher Vickie Adamson of English teacher Phyllis Fleischaker. Adamson continues, extolling Fleischaker's quick wit and refuting any of Fleischaker's claims that she's anything close to dull. "She drives an Audi, so I always say, ‘That's fun!'" Adamson says.

Fleischaker's dynamic personality and intense passion for teaching have earned her the title of Educator of the Year for the 2002 Silver Spring Business and Community Awards.

Fleischaker, who currently teaches Advanced Placement English Language and Composition as well as tenth grade Honors English, came to Blair in 1985 as a composition assistant. Working with Assistant Principal Linda Wanner (then an English teacher) and English teachers Silvia Trumbower and Carole Tomayko, Fleischaker blossomed.

The now-pro teacher wistfully recounts her early days and their profound influence on her teaching style. "It was a wonderful training ground," she says. "To be able to see other good teachers at work and to be able to pick and choose from things that they do that work is great."

As the leader of the tenth grade interdisciplinary team, Fleischaker works to engage students by actively striving to relate her teaching material to her students' lives. Making such associations also allows her, Fleischaker says, to make the curriculum more universal. "I keep the connection to the outside world open. And I think that's a good way to reach students from all different backgrounds," she muses.

Fleischaker's creative teaching methods have drawn praise from those around her. Staff Recognition Committee member Tina Slater writes in her Educator of the Year nomination, "Whether encouraging students to boost their vocabulary by sharing her love of crossword puzzles, or using her love of baseball and her Cal Ripken ‘fixation' to show students how commitment to your job day after day pays off, Mrs. Fleischaker demonstrates her dedication to students and her love of teaching."

Adamson says Fleischaker's personality shines in all her interactions. "In addition to being such a wonderful dedicated teacher, she's such a good person. She's friendly, she gets along with everyone in the department, she's always smiling. She sparkles, she twinkles. She's just got such great energy," she says.

The award, which was given to Blair teachers Elba Castro and Ralph Bunday last year, was presented on Apr 13.

In her 17 years as a member of the Blair family, Fleischaker feels she has laid deep roots. "I feel very connected to the Blair community. It is such a microcosm—it seems funny to call a school of 3,000 kids micro-anything—but it's a microcosm of the world. If we can't make it work, then I don't know how the world will," she says with a smile.

These moments, however, require hard work, she says. "Me as a teacher would be me as a person ‘squared,'" she says. "Teaching requires you to be ‘on' in ways that life doesn't—that's where the squared comes in—you have to ratchet it up."