[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 46 (Thursday, April 23, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E672]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              IN HONOR OF THE NATIONAL TEACHER OF THE YEAR

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. THOMAS M. DAVIS

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 23, 1998

  Mr. DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to 
Philip Bigler, the 1998 National Teacher of the Year. Philip is a 
history teacher at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and 
Technology in Alexandria, Virginia.
  The National Teacher of the Year Program is the oldest and most 
prestigious award to attract public attention to excellence in 
teaching. Philip is truly deserving of this great honor. For almost 
twenty years, he has captivated students by recreating history in the 
classroom. His students have experienced a polis of ancient Greece, 
cases argued before the Supreme Court, and pilgrims on the hajj to 
Mecca without ever traveling from the classroom. Outside the classroom, 
Philip's students have discovered history firsthand by interviewing 
residents of the Soldiers' and Airmen's homes about their experiences 
in the World Wars. Philip's most significant achievement as a teacher 
is his ability to instill a lasting love of history. His students learn 
to appreciate that civilization rests upon the foundations of the past 
and that they inherit a rich, intellectual legacy.
  Philip's inspiration to teach was instilled by teachers from his own 
school years. His 8th grade teacher Mary Josephine taught him his love 
of learning, and in high school, a battle-hardened marine, Colonel 
Ralph Sullivan, showed him the rigor of academics and taught him a 
thirst for knowledge and reading. His love of history led him to take a 
break from teaching to serve as the historian at Arlington National 
Cemetery but his appreciation for the importance of teaching brought 
him back. He has spent his entire teaching career in the Greater 
Washington Metropolitan area. Philip and his wife Linda, who is also a 
teacher, share the great love of educating young minds.
  Philip is also an accomplished author and has previously been honored 
with the Washington Post Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher Award, the 
Hodgson Award for Outstanding Teacher of Social Studies, and has twice 
been honored with the Norma Dektor Award for Most Influential Teacher 
from the Students of McLean High School and the United States Capitol 
Historical Society.
  I know my colleagues join me in honoring Philip Bigler. Philip 
ignites a spark of enlightenment in each of his students, motivates 
their interest, and cultivates their minds. I have the highest 
appreciation for his dedication to teaching and inspiring our children.