People
The Need for Speed

When art teacher Ellen Beck pulls her Baltic blue Porsche into the parking lot of Portsmouth Middle School in New Hampshire, no one blinks an eye. That's because community members naturally associate Beck with her favorite extracurricular activity: high-speed performance race car driving.

During the last eight years, Beck has become actively involved with the Porsche Club of America as a driver and chief instructor in the Northeast region. "People from all walks of life get to participate," regardless of the status of their bank accounts, says Beck.

During weekend-long driver education events, Beck teaches novice and advanced students proper technique as they brave the winding tracks of the Porsche road courses.

"I enjoy seeing their grins when people say, 'I just had the best day,'" says Beck.

Beck serves as a role model for her young students and for her fellow Porsche owners. Her kids admire her fearlessness as she whips around the curves of the racetrack at breakneck speed.

"My kids see a woman doing something unusual, and doing it well," she says. "It opens up their eyes."

--Lauren Fischer

Liberty and Faith

After the September 11 terrorist attacks, sixth-grade teacher Steven McNew, of Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, sent two stuffed bears and a journal around the country so people could record their reactions to the attacks. He didn't think the bears would return. But this spring they did.

While the bears, named Liberty and Faith, were on the road, McNew's class received postcards, letters, and e-mails from people who received the bears. Many people who wrote assumed the bears' identities.

When the bears returned in May, they had traveled through 37 states. The journal also included some extraordinary eyewitness accounts, including a story from a man who lost two firefighter friends when the towers collapsed.

"After reading this journal, I've realized that there are wonderful people in this country," McNew says.

--Irene Arce

Perfect Attendance

Wiley Brooks Jr. hasn't missed a day of school in 12 years. And he plans to continue his perfect attendance.

"If I am able to, I will never miss a day again," says Brooks, a social studies teacher and basketball and track coach. His school, B.F. Liddell Junior High School in Macon, Mississippi, honored him this spring for his 2,000th day in a row on the job.

Brooks' dedication to school is nothing new. During his four years as a student at B.F. Liddell High School and four years studying at Jackson State University, Brooks missed only four days because of the measles.

"I never wanted to stay home when I was little," says Brooks. "I used to cry when I couldn't go to school."

While his students may not have perfect attendance, Brooks believes his record sets an example. "They are always waiting for me to miss a day," says Brooks. "Now, some students are telling me that they're going to try and break my record."

Brooks' devotion to his students goes well beyond the classroom. Throughout his teaching career, Brooks has helped 23 students go to college and is godfather to 50.

Many of Brooks' godchildren have their own families now and some are even teachers. Brooks still checks on them regularly.

"They live everywhere now," says Brooks. "Some stayed in Mississippi, others are along the East Coast. But I still have all of their numbers."

--Lian Skaff

Pop Art

Jane Smith, an art teacher in Shakopee, Minnesota, always dreamed of writing and illustrating her own children's book. But her students never could have guessed just how big her idea was.

Last fall, Smith solicited the help of her sixth-grade students at Sun Path Elementary School to create the world's largest pop-up book. Five months later the group had a six-page book that stood 8 feet tall and measured 14 feet wide when opened.

Smith, shown here inside her 300-pound storybook, wanted her students to look at books "through the eyes of illustrators," she says.

Smith also approached Guinness World Records about recognizing her efforts. Although Guinness did not award her an official world record title, the organization created a new category for pop-up books in Smith's honor.

Smith received plenty of community interest in her project as well. The book served as the backdrop for a school play and spent one month on display at the Mall of America. The Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune also featured it in an article.

Smith hopes to find a permanent location to display the pop-up book, where children can see and enjoy it. She also plans to publish a children's book some day.

Teacher's Pet

When teacher Jean Keister brought a terrier to school, many people assumed her eighth-grade students would get distracted with a dog in class. But they didn't. While Keister teaches, Riley, a West Highland white terrier, roams freely around her room at Robin Mickle Middle School in Lincoln, Nebraska. Students sometimes walk around and hold and pet Riley, but they remain focused on class discussions and assignments.

Keister first brought Riley to school two years ago. She had been teaching for almost 30 years and was looking for new and creative teaching strategies, she says. About that time, she saw a television program about the therapeutic use of dogs in nursing homes and orphanages. The show inspired her to bring a dog to class, and the innovative technique renewed her enthusiasm for teaching, she says.

Having Riley in class teaches students to respect other living things and to accept the responsibility of caring for an animal, Keister says. Riley also calms students, especially those who have attention deficit disorder, she adds. Thanks to Riley, the school has a reputation of being an imaginative place where new teaching techniques are tested.

--Irene Arce