But she quit last year, just months from her goal, after enduring what she said was a regular barrage of thrown objects in her classroom at Pepper Middle School in Southwest Philadelphia.

She was hit by markers, rubber bands and stones, according to her workers' compensation claim against the district. She once dodged a desk, she said.

Miller, 49, said the classroom-management training she had received and her experiences working alongside seasoned teachers in elementary schools had not prepared her for the challenges of Pepper.

The school, managed for the district by Victory Schools of New York, separates students by gender. Miller said she had been assigned four classes of seventh- and eighth-grade boys.

Problems surfaced the first week. On Sept. 9, 2005, Miller was asked to cover an art class for another teacher. Students began hurling markers at her. A few hit her in the forehead and drew blood.

"Soon after that, the principal and the vice principal came down to see what happened," Miller said. "They told me to go to the nurse. I went to the nurse, and they released me right back to the same class."

When Miller began having headaches, she went to a doctor. She also said she had called the district's Safe Schools hotline to report that she was being hit by objects in her classroom.

When her principal learned about her hotline call, Miller said, she was urged to take time off from school and get a physical.

"The doctor suggested I go to a psychologist, which I did," Miller said. "He said to go back to the school. Try to get reassigned."

Miller said she had tried to transfer, without success.

The district's incident report confirms that Miller was hit with markers on Sept. 9, 2005, and treated by the nurse. According to the report, no student was disciplined because Miller was unable to identify who had thrown the markers.

Fernando Gallard, a district spokesman, said the district was unable to find any other incident reports related to Miller's experience at Pepper.

Yolanda Armstrong, principal of Pepper, did not return phone calls seeking comment Friday.

Students continued throwing things at her, Miller said. On Oct. 17, 2005, she was pelted with books, her claim says.

"The principal and the vice principal were aware of what was happening," she said. "And the vice principal one time wrote me up because he said I didn't have control of my class. But they were throwing things."

Miller, who was anxious and having trouble sleeping, said her psychologist had "diagnosed it as an anxiety reaction."

But after her students in November threw a rock collection at her, she said, her psychologist told her not to return.

"I was trying to stick it out," Miller said. "I was close to doing it."

The district denied Miller's initial application for workers' compensation. Her claim seeking back wages and payment of her medical expenses is pending.

Miller, now a substitute in the Cheltenham School District, said she was not sure whether she would pursue the certification needed for a permanent position.

"After this experience . . . I am not as enthusiastic."

at 215-854-2789 or martha.Woodall@phillynews.com.