Army National Guard Sergeant James Reynolds is one of about 10,000 former and current military service members who, since 1994, have arrived in the classroom via the federal Troops to Teachers program. Reynolds, who was serving as rear gunner on a Humvee patrolling a Bosnian town, is currently teaching 6th grade students at Hybla Valley Elementary, a mostly minority, high-immigrant K-6 school in Alexandria, Virginia. Considering that the reservist spends one weekend a month honing his tank-gunner skills, some might feel uneasy about letting him shape the minds of 11- and 12-year-olds. Reynolds, at age 40, does not look like a typical soldier. His red hair is thinning. He is potbellied. He wears wire-rimmed glasses. Spend some time with Reynolds at Hybla Valley and see many of the lessons he has learned in the Guard coming through. Hybla Valley principal James Dallas sees additional benefits in Reynolds. Though he is still a novice in the classroom, the administrator believes he "really cares for his kids beyond the academic day, and that is so important for their population." The principal also credits some of Reynolds' flexibility to the sense of teamwork the military fosters. Dallas is not the only administrator impressed with Troops to Teachers. Roughly 90 percent of the principals surveyed in Old Dominion University's nationwide study said Troops educators were more effective instructors and classroom managers than traditional teachers with comparable experience. About the same proportion of the principals also cited a more positive impact on student achievement. At the moment, Jim Reynolds is convinced he will still be a teacher four years from now, when his military obligation ends. Sixth grade is ideal for him, he says, and gives him a chance to hook kids on history before conventional high school curricula drain the life from it. He has also found Hybla Valley Elementary suited to his experiences.