2016 All-Star Teacher finalist Wayne Phillips

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Wayne Phillips
International Relations
Millbrae's Mills High School

Currently I am in my 44th year of teaching in high school. My interest in teaching first appeared when I was attending 8th grade in Canada. I was most fortunate to have a very strong math teacher, at the time, who allowed students to solve math problems on a chalk board. I am not sure if it was experiencing my math teacher’s teaching skills or the joy of writing on a chalk board that is responsible for my initial interest and commitment to teaching. I hope it was witnessing Mr. Cantwell teaching.

I graduated from San Francisco State University where I earned a BA in Political Science with a minor in Economics followed by the State Teaching Credential and then on to a Masters in Political Science. Over the years I have attended a host of workshops both through my school district and outside of school designed to improve staff teaching skills. For the past 27 years I have attended Stanford University’s SIEPR’s Economics Institute for Teachers in which economic issues are presented over a week of lectures. I am now the only original member still attending other than the creators of the fine program. Given that I teach international relations I attend many public lectures to remain relevant and current with the subject matter other than through the extensive reading that I must undertake.

After a three year period of substitute teaching on the San Francisco Peninsula I secured a teaching position in 1972 at San Mateo High School teaching mostly freshman students in a unique and different Social Science program which was both collaborative with other colleagues and interesting given the subject matter of the time. I also taught government during my tenure at San Mateo High School until the passage of Proposition 13 which required school districts throughout California to reduce costs. I was most fortunate to obtain another teaching position at Mills High School in Millbrae still part of the San Mateo Union High School District and I have been situated at the school ever since.

While at Mills I taught freshman Social Science, government and economics and thoroughly enjoyed each subject area. I was also Social Science Department Chair for a number of years. In my last year at Mills before “retirement” I introduced a course in International Relations. It was pure joy to teach and I have been teaching the subject ever since. I have found the material that I use in the International Relations class fascinating and energizing even though changing constantly. What are so rewarding are the students who enroll in the class. It is the students that really propel me to take on additional activities at Mills.

With the students in International Relations I have been able to provide other learning experiences for them that have, I believe, greatly expanded their understanding of issues confronting the world. Since I am members of the World Affairs Council of Northern California and the Asia Society I have been fortunate to take students to the public programs with some speakers willing to give student interviews prior to the lecture programs. After the programs the students, as my guests, attend a different restaurant for each time that allows us to discuss the key themes presented by the speaker. It provides for a delightful and educational evening for the students and for me. On an average year we attend 12-14 programs.

Since my students do not believe I understand the concept of retirement I have taken on added tasks that support student’s interests and learning. Mills High School has a 78 member Chinese Dragon Team that began 20 years ago when I felt the school needed to celebrate the coming Lunar New Year. The plan was to create a cultural assembly in which students would be the speakers and a 40 foot dragon was created for the initial event. The dragon expanded to 111 feet which was student designed, created, and assembled with a body sewn by the campus aid. The dragon has under changes over the years and has recently appeared in the San Francisco Chinese Chamber of Commerce Parade for eighteenth consecutive year. Because of my involvement in teaching international relations Mills has a Model United Nations Club. I am the advisor who assembles students to Stanford, UC Berkeley and Davis Conferences along with supporting Mills own regional conference and attending other regional conferences on the weekends to help support student learning in the UN process. I also advise the Chinese Culture Club that has assembles a major cultural event during the Lunar New Year festivities.

I am most fortunate to teach in a school that has a collaborative and delightful teaching staff and supportive administration team. I am heavily involved with the current educational changes taking place in American education that are designed to further students’ skills and learning to confront an ever more challenging and changing career path.

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