2002 Rhode Island Teacher of the Year
Mr. Neves teaches music to students in grades six through twelve at Scituate High School in Scituate, Rhode Island. He has been teaching for 26 years.

What are your beliefs about teaching?
"Teaching is an important profession. It is a formal way to transfer culture and knowledge to future generations. I realize that each moment with my students is precious and must not be wasted. I firmly believe that every student has the potential to understand excellence, to produce excellence and to make a positive difference. Getting all students to believe this about themselves is one of my ultimate goals. I strive to do this through music. With its firm basis in beauty, perfection and feeling, music is a perfect vehicle to excite students and lead them towards a future of wonder, excitement and fulfillment."

How are your beliefs incorporated in your teaching style?
"My teaching style is energetic, intense and fast-paced. Every moment is used to its fullest. I strive to keep all students on task and to keep them moving forward in understanding and skill building."

What is your greatest teaching accomplishment?
"My greatest accomplishment would have to be seeing students from every academic spectrum come together to create a beautiful performance of a major work of musical literature. To see students from all walks of life successfully performing and understanding such beautiful works of mankind is to see the potential greatness of our society when we all work together for a common goal."

What's the most critical issue facing educators today and what do you think can be done to resolve this issue?
"The greatest challenge facing educators today is the critical shortage of teachers that we now face. Many teachers are approaching retirement and there is a concern that the best and the brightest are not being brought into the education profession. We must do more to promote the profession as a noble one where an individual can make a difference. We must do more to raise the standards of the teacher education programs while also raising the intrinsic and extrinsic rewards for excellence in education. This includes working conditions, compensation issues, community respect and recognition, professional development and career ladders."

Inspirational thought:
"Remember that every day you give a child a piece of your life, passion, knowledge and energy. You help children see the joy and wonder in the world and discover her own self-worth and reason for living."