Her Story
Becky Hamilton says learning drives nearly everything she does, and she chose English because she loves to read. She wants her students to see reading as a pleasure rather than an assignment. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Texas Lutheran University, a master’s degree from the University of Texas-Pan American, an educational specialist degree from Florida Atlantic University, and in 2015 a Ph.D. there in multicultural education with a secondary focus on literature. She also studied at Exeter College, Oxford, on an English-Speaking Union scholarship and at the University of Edinburgh, and she earned National Board Certification in 2002.
She began teaching in 1996, taught at Suncoast Community High School and Independence Middle School, and has been at Suncoast since 2007. She teaches AP Capstone Seminar and Research, and AICE Literature. She starts with a belief that teaching is about relationships. She says she is not the “sage on the stage” but one member of a circle in which everyone shares what they know. She avoids answering “Googleable” questions, because she does not want students to depend on other people for answers.
Her classroom walls are covered with Harry Potter memorabilia, a wall of photos of former students, a bulletin board of stars for students who earned 5s on AP exams, and a Pun Wall. Students know she is serious about learning, but she wants them to see her inner child, too. She teaches grammar, mechanics and usage even though College Board does not require it, and former students come back to tell her that they now cringe at errors on billboards. She builds in many extra presentations, brings in other teachers to join oral defenses, and requires students to have peer tutors in the writing lab review their papers.
Beyond the Classroom
Hamilton helped bring AP Capstone to Suncoast. In the 1990s she introduced a Senior Project, in which seniors combined hands-on and academic learning into a research paper defended before community judges, and she later wrote a full-year course for it, with well over 100 judges every year. When College Board launched AP Capstone in 2014, she worked with the administration to add it, Suncoast was one of the first pilot sites in the country, and in 2015 College Board invited her to be a table leader. A colleague says that the program is thriving because of her instruction and promotion, and that the school now has a second Seminar teacher.
She has sponsored a long list of student-initiated clubs, including Hands Across Campus, National Honor Society, Florida Future Educators of America, the It’s a Shore Thing beach cleanup, PAWS, the Harry Potter Club and Students Fighting for a Future. She started a writing lab, mentors International Baccalaureate extended essays, helps select Pathfinder scholarship nominees, serves as a clinical educator for new teachers, and leads the school’s positive behavior support team. She has presented at district, national and international conferences, especially on democracy in the classroom, and helps lead the meetings of the Association of Ubiquitous and Collaborative Educators International, which have been held in Ireland and England.
Philosophy Into Practice
Hamilton groups students so that those who already have research and synthesis skills work with those learning them for the first time. She uses Google Classroom for assignments and feedback, and uses presentations to see what her students really understand: students teach the class about credibility of sources, break down each row of the six scoring rubrics on large sticky notes, and share their research instruments and data checks with the class. She reports that the pass rate for both Capstone courses at Suncoast is above the state and global averages.
She finds that what works for her least engaged students is best practice for everyone, so she adds material connected to their lives, such as having a Research student share his study findings with the class, or students teach each other origami when reading “The Paper Menagerie.” She says that her students’ success validates her work because they leave with the skills of researching, writing, presenting and working well with others.
“Teaching and learning are about relationships, with ourselves, students, society, and world.”Becky Hamilton
In Her Own Words
“Learning drives nearly everything I do, so it was natural that I would become an educator.”Becky Hamilton
“Teachers need to have authority but not be authoritarian.”Becky Hamilton, citing Paulo Freire
“What works for engaging low achievers is actually best practice for all learners.”Becky Hamilton
What Others Said
“It was her caring support, honest advice, and passion for teaching that shaped me into an effective, successful teacher.”Maria Edgar, nominator, colleague
“She sees excellence as a minimum and settles for nothing less than her best.”Kathryn M. Koerner, principal, Suncoast Community High School
“Dr. Hamilton’s love for teaching is evident everyday as she works tirelessly with students to ensure their success.”Dawn Gordon, assistant principal, Suncoast Community High School
“Dr. Hamilton’s ability to teach students how to think critically and independently filled this intellectual void of mine and has heavily shaped my mindset to this day.”Brandon Wisnicki, former student