When world events trouble students, they can step into Bill Napier’s classroom and feel at ease, but what sets his classroom apart isn’t the decor but rather the culture Napier has created.
Since 1999, Napier has taught at Showalter Middle School and coached myriad Tukwila Schools sports teams. He currently teaches art and coach’s swim. Students appreciate Napier for his unique, reward-based style of teaching, and for his safe and welcoming classroom environment.
“I’ve had a reward system in place since I started teaching,” Napier said. “I want to motivate students to be their best selves.”
In Napier’s class, students receive more than a letter grade for their work. Each assignment awards points that students can redeem for snacks, candies, supplies, or even gift cards.
“I’m a big advocate for rewarding positive behavior and work ethic,” Napier said. The result of his teaching method is students who are excited about their work and leave the classroom with a strong sense of accomplishment.
Napier’s investment in students often goes beyond his reward system. When students take on personal projects, he’ll happily provide them with any supplies they need. Janet Vu, a former student, recalled Napier lending his aid when she entered a contest to design the school yearbook cover.
“He bought me a special set of markers, and I told him he didn’t need to go out of his way for me,” Vu said. “But he told me that I’d been a hardworking student and earned it. That meant a lot to me.”
In more than 20 years of teaching, Napier has honed more than just his philosophy of rewarding students. He has also shown great compassion to students, which is especially important working at Tukwila Schools, which has one of the most diverse student populations in the U.S. Students in Tukwila represent over 80 world languages and are 90% non-white, including 22% Asian, 22% Black, and 34% Hispanic.
“I have found that being kind and respectful has gotten me further than anything else when creating a positive environment, especially in today’s toxic political climate,” Napier said. “I meet students where they are and accept them for who they are.”
Napier has excelled at teaching, but it almost never came to be.
“The funny thing is that when I first started college, I didn’t want anything to do with teaching,” Napier said. He attended Eastern Washington University to become an engineer. However, he took a job as a lifeguard and swim instructor and realized teaching was where his heart lay. He switched majors and has felt no regret.
When asked how he’s able to give his all to his students, Napier had one person to thank.
“I wouldn’t be able to do this without support from my wife, Cindy. She has made it so that I can invest in students,” he said. “When I briefly retired in 2014, she’s the one who encouraged me to go back when she could tell I missed it.”
Napier intends to keep teaching at Showalter for as long as he’s able, and for that future students will be grateful. To his students—past, present, and future—Napier has one message he hopes they all can hear.
“Be the best you that you can be. Be comfortable with who you are. Knowing who you are will make your decisions in life much clearer. It may not make them easier, but you will be honoring yourself.”