How do I display model a property in a view?

gistfile1.aw

//controllers/AdminsController.php
<?php
class AdminsController extends \lithium\action\Controller {

    public function search() {

        if (form submitted) {
            //prepare the url and redirect to same method
            //so that we have a _GET based search URL
        } else {
            //this is all _GET
            $admins = null;
            if (args exist) {
                //do search
            }
            return compact('admins');
        }

    }
}
?>



//models/Admins.php
<?php
class Admins extends \app\extensions\data\Model {

    //I want to use this to display a select list in my view
    private $_search_options = array(
        'email'       => 'Email',
        'first_name'  => 'First Name',
        'middle_name' => 'Middle Name',
        'last_name'   => 'Last Name',
        'active'      => 'Status',
    );

    public function search_options() {
        return $this->_search_options;
    }
}
?>



//views/admins/search.html.php
/**
 * If the search returns n results, $admins will have n objects.
 * So, I use the first() filter.
 * But, in its initial state with no _GET args or _POST vars, $admins is null.
 *
 * How do I handle this? It doesn't make sense to do a `Admins::first()` or something like that
 * in the AdminsController::search()
 */
<?= $this->form->create(); ?>
    <?= $this->security->requestToken(); ?>
    <?= $this->form->select('search_term',
        $admins->first()->search_options() //  <--- $admins is here
    ); ?>
    <?= $this->form->field('search', array('value' => $search_term)); ?>
    <?= $this->form->submit('Search'); ?>
<?= $this->form->end(); ?>
<?= $this->html->link('Back', array('Admins::index')); ?>