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If you have not gone onto a campus during school hours, you ought to call and ask for a tour at the next opportunity. Life before adulthood echoes through the halls, whether it is in kindergarten where words and numbers take shape; in the middle schools where adolescence forms; or in high school labs where dreams bubble to the surface. Someone has to conduct all of these experiments on educational growth. That someone is the teacher providing knowledge, inspiration, friendship. At least that is how the great ones work - as unquestioned mentors. This year, as in the past, we asked public school districts and private schools to nominate their best and brightest. Our results are culled from dozens of nominations. We look for a spark in what we receive. We ask, would we want this teacher to instruct our children? And is their impact so profound that we could never forget what they taught? The 10 teachers profiled here are a subjective selection, true, but they are an objective reflection of the best of the best. Teresa Garcia Lyn Alexander Susan Egan Jeff Guffey Patricia Goheen Lance Novotny Father Luke Laslavich Michael Keith Ambrose Sue Isaksen Mary Jones Teresa Garcia Spurgeon Intermediate School in Santa Ana Position: Math teacher and counselor for AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination), a program aimed at students with a 2.0-3.0 grade point average to get them focused on becoming college-oriented with the ultimate goal of going to the UC system Residence: Santa Ana Family: Husband Carlos; sons Carlos, 9, Giovanni, 7, and Gerardo, 3 Teresa Garcia grew up in Santa Ana, the daughter of immigrant parents from Mexico. While it was important that her parents, Rigoberto and Oselia, supported and urged her to get an education, also vital was the encouragement from teachers along the way. They not only understood her childhood dream to become a teacher, but also fueled it. First an instruction assistant in 1989 within the Santa Ana Unified School District, then a substitute teacher before being hired full time as a math teacher at Spurgeon Intermediate School, Garcia, 35, has seen each step of the way as an important one. Born and raised in Santa Ana, Garcia says her background - more specifically, her culture - grabs the attention of her students in the mostly Latino school district. She can tell the story of her own family, of parents who worked the fields, of a father (now a carpenter) who didn't finish high school and a mother who didn't finish beyond the third grade: "They just knew that the ultimate goal was to go to college and finish. How and what the tools they would provide to me were unclear. But, 'You are going to college. Period. End of story.' They knew that in this country, education was the vehicle to move on." Garcia, the oldest of five children (her youngest brother is studying to become a teacher), first attended Santa Ana College, then earned a bachelor's degree at Cal State Fullerton, a master's degree at Cal State Los Angeles, and a teaching credential from National University. She can tell the story of an inspiring teacher, her fourth-grade teacher: "Donald Reiman was this white teacher who taught bilingual education. I thought, if this guy went out to learn this language and this culture, and is teaching this little brown girl, what a powerful message he was sending to me, to make a difference. He made us proud of who we are." She can talk of not letting obstacles hold you back, such as the high school guidance counselor suggesting she ought to be a secretary: One of her sayings is that she was an average student with above average dreams. It is perhaps the most powerful message she passes on to her middle school students, many of whom struggle to make sense of an education's worth in their lives. "I am the color that they are," Garcia says. "I was born and raised in the same exact environment that most of my students are in. I know what it's like to grow up in the barrio, to grow up poor." So it is of little surprise that Garcia - who she is, what she has accomplished in her nine years on the same campus - inspires students daily. They believe her when she tells them: "No matter your surroundings, keep dreaming, keep working, because hard work will pay off. Do you want to have the nice house, the nice car? Then you have to stay in school; there is no other way." This message works best for this age group because, as Garcia explains, "This is where I can make a difference. They are at an age where you can have concrete discussions. "If I make a difference in one student's life, then that is the whole purpose. To be a role model (for example) for a little girl who turns around." - By Craig Reem Susan Egan Orange County High School of the Arts in Santa Ana Position: Interim artistic director Residence: Los Angeles Family: Parents Richard and Nancy; sister Elizabeth, 38, and brother Michael, 35 As it did for so many people, September 11 had a profound impact on Susan Egan's life - and the direction of her career. The 32-year-old, Tony-nominated performing artist was right on track with her life, so she thought, with a string of Broadway hits to her credit and steady work on a television sitcom in Los Angeles at the time of the tragedy. But this dark day in our country became a wake-up call for Egan and cast a shadow of introspection over her life's purpose. "It forced me to examine my contribution," recalls the original Belle from Broadway's "Beauty and the Beast." "I've done some meaningful theater in New York that I feel great about. And as much as I've enjoyed working in television, it felt like cotton candy - tasted nice, but disappeared immediately." So Egan began looking wistfully in other directions. Then came the call from Ralph Opacic, executive director at the Orange County High School of the Arts. Opacic, her former mentor, offered Egan a serendipitous yet timely opportunity to claim center stage as the school's interim artistic director. OCHSA is the only school in Southern California to offer a tuition-free education to seventh- through 12th-grade students in performing arts, academics and technology. "I've been blown away by this opportunity to touch young people's lives in a way that is so immediate. I work with kids who are starving for a chance to perform and they deliver in such a sophisticated, mature way," says Egan who, as a member of the first graduating class at OCHSA when the campus was in Los Alamitos, now has come full circle in her career as a performing artist. "What really turns me on is helping kids find their means of expression." Talk about making a difference. After only three short months as OCHSA's artistic director, Egan had already made sweeping changes, adjusting the school's outdated curriculum to current industry standards. In the real world of performing arts, dancers, musicians, singers, actors, writers and designers work together to bring a production to life. That wasn't happening between the 10 conservatories at OCHSA until Egan arrived. "They were working in a vacuum. Now students get to see each other perform and collaborate on over 70 yearly productions, and it has inspired them to work harder in their own disciplines." Egan also is bridging the gap between the school and the industry. Her Rolodex reads like a who's who in entertainment: Sam Mendes, Tommy Tune, Carol Burnett. And she's tapping into these deep connections not only to raise awareness and money for the 1,200-student program, but also to deliver notable and inspiring guest instructors to the classroom, like Jerry Herman, the Broadway icon who wrote "Hello Dolly" and "Mame." "Jerry was so impressed with our program, he handed out three $1,000 scholarships, one to an extraordinarily talented boy who had been questioning his path. But after being celebrated by Jerry, he told me the experience changed his life," recalls Egan with tears. But can real talent be taught? OCHSA's newest star answers immediately, "Yes! It's drive more than anything, a willingness to expose yourself. Being an artist means being rejected for a living. I want to empower these kids enough to withstand rejection and feel good about taking risks." A homegrown diva, Egan grew up in Seal Beach and attended Los Alamitos High School. With a voice stamped and approved by Broadway and Disney, she attributes much of her hardworking success to teachers along the way. "The real heroes are the career educators. Think about the people who made the biggest impact on your life and I guarantee you it's a teacher. For me, it's Ralph Opacic," says Egan in a heartfelt ovation. "I admire teachers who give of themselves, day in and day out, year after year. I bow to them." - By Lynn Armitage Patricia Goheen Meadow Park Elementary School in Irvine Position: Sixth-grade teacher Residence: Irvine Family: Husband Doug; son, 7, and daughter, 5 It couldn't have been scripted any better. When asked what she liked best about teaching, Patricia Goheen, a 45-year-old sixth-grade teacher at Meadow Park Elementary School in Irvine, replied, "When former students come back and visit me." Right on cue, 13-year-old Garrett strolled into her classroom, an admiring student she taught two years ago. Of course he was put on the spot. "She's the best teacher I ever had! She's really fun and listens to your problems, too." Teaching with a sense of humor and genuine love for students are Goheen's trademarks. Perhaps that's why she's so successful in the classroom. "Kids need a safe, nurturing place to spend their day. I offer students unconditional love for a year, and no matter what they do wrong, it won't change my feelings for them." This former costume designer for television, film and theater has never looked back since she made the leap of faith into teaching 12 years ago. "People used to discourage me from teaching because they said it wasn't creative enough. When really, it's one of the most creative fields. You have to change what you're doing every day to make it interesting for kids." But sixth-graders are emotional pre-teens, balls of energy and raging hormones. Why would someone in her right mind choose to teach about 30 kids this age? Goheen says she didn't pick sixth grade, it picked her. "I was offered this job my first year as a teacher, and I've been teaching the same grade at the same school ever since," she says proudly. "Kids this age change dramatically through the year, emotionally, socially and physically, and I like helping them through it all." Goheen says she loves teaching in Irvine, a district well known for its exceptional schools and top-notch teachers, who have more autonomy and freedom to be creative than in other districts. And creative she is. With a master's degree in theatrical design, Goheen taps into her background to direct an annual production of Julius Caesar, one of the highlights of the school year. However, the most discouraging side to teaching for Goheen isn't the disappointing pay, as you might expect. It's "wishing we had more time. More time with kids and parents, and to articulate with one another." Any words of wisdom for future teachers? "I encourage anyone to go into teaching. It's truly an enriching experience. I can't imagine a better way to spend my day." Goheen shares a 23-year marriage with her husband, Doug, who teaches theatrical design at UCI. They are the proud and loving parents of two adopted children from China, who go to work with mommy every day as students at Meadow Park Elementary School. - By Lynn Armitage Father Luke Laslavich Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana Position: Biology science teacher Residence: Costa Mesa (at St. John the Baptist) "Science without religion is lame," Albert Einstein wrote. "Religion without science is blind." Father Luke Laslavich has the best of all worlds at Mater Dei High School, and the most challenging, as well. He cherishes the effort of making modern science fit neatly with religion. As a priest from the order of Norbertine Fathers, he has embraced the fathers' nearly 900-year history of educating youth to make a difference in the world. But their world, these days, is more complicated than ever before. And so is science: Our ability to play God, to even think we can be Him, seems more adaptable. He is asked how a teacher of his background and convictions, in the setting of a Catholic high school, can deal with science and faith, or perhaps what is perceived as science vs. faith. "Knowing God, loving God, and serving God." That is one explanation Father Laslavich, 43, gives for his calling to become a teacher (he earned his teaching credential through Concordia University in Irvine and taught at a public elementary school in Lake Forest, an all-boys' Catholic boarding high school, and an all-girls' high school before joining Mater Dei's staff in 1997). By explaining his religious foundation, Father Laslavich also provides an opening to his focus as a teacher: "It's handing on the great things of our society, the great thoughts, the great meditations on who we are, where we are going, how we are going to get there." Questions that can fit a scientist's mind, as well as a religious one. And he serves both callings. He is a bundle of energy during a frosh-soph science class that is equal parts experiment-of-the-day and a reminder that respect for each other is the bottom line. Imagine a sermon in perpetual motion with rapt students in protective goggles and that's about the feel of this particular hour. After class, Father Laslavich ponders the big questions: "Teaching virtue: How do you live in a society? How do you become a productive citizen?" So, put all of this into a beaker and how does it come out? How do you avoid the contradiction between faith and science? "Most people will come from one of two spectrums - everything is just what we see and that's the reality and there is no spiritual aspect to it at all, or someone will say, 'It is all spiritual and everything else is not truly apparent to me.' "If God is a creator...of all things...there really can't be a contradiction because...He created one large truth that we're all trying to understand: what this world's about, why he created it, why we're in it, where we're going and how we're going to get there. "Science fits into it because it is part of the total package of a human person, a person who lives in this world. If I'm only just about science, I'll know how the world works and the intricacies of it. But what about that unseen world that informs what I do as a scientist? Can you speak about the dignity of a human just being a scientist?" The way to a whole human, he believes, is knowing what's on the natural level, as well as supernatural. Of science, AND of faith. "Science has to have a moral compass in which to make its decisions. Is it making us God? Or are we letting God be God?" - By Craig Reem Sue Isaksen Del Obispo Elementary in San Juan Capistrano Position: Fourth-grade teacher Residence: Oceanside Family: Husband Steve; children Joey, 20, Krista, 17, and Kelsey, 13 Sue Isaksen's goal is to develop the whole child. A highly regarded fourth-grade teacher at Del Obispo Elementary in San Juan Capistrano, she claims, "School is not always going to be IT for everyone." Not the words you'd expect from one of the finest teachers in Orange County, but that theory might just be what makes her so good at what she does. Her approach to teaching evolved from personal experience with her own children. "My oldest is ADHD (attention deficit hyperactive disorder). He is a bright kid - a real Tigger personality - he just couldn't do school." Her middle child excelled academically. However, her youngest was diagnosed with general anxiety disorder. "He was very uncomfortable with school." Isaksen brings all these experiences as a mother into the classroom. "I think in this profession, it helps to be a mom," she said. "I'm more sensitive because I've seen it as a mom. I remember what it's like to be told, 'Your kid is out of control in the classroom.'" A former law student, Isaksen had planned to return to college to pursue a career in business law. However, when her youngest started kindergarten, she says she was drawn in by the magic of the classroom. She obtained her teaching credential through Cal State Fullerton's Saddleback campus and has been teaching for the past four years. In addition to her academic work, Isaksen is constructing a school garden as a result of winning a grant she wrote. Now, all the students at Del Obispo will have hands-on experience in what will soon become an outdoor science lab. Whether it's teaching multiplication or introducing her fourth-graders to the Internet, Isaksen brings patience and compassion to the job. "I tell my parents at back-to-school night...if you have a child that is struggling with school, find something he is good at. And it may not be soccer or baseball. It may be as simple as baking great chocolate chip cookies. The issue is preserving a sense of themselves." She claims that how children feel about themselves all comes back into the classroom. "I have kids reading at levels that range from second grade to eighth grade. As a teacher, I'm held accountable that everyone grows." Children with good attitudes about themselves, she says, have a better chance of thriving in the classroom. Having Isaksen as a teacher doesn't hurt, either. - By Kimberly Porrazzo Lyn Alexander Santa Margarita Catholic High School Position: International Baccalaureate English instructor and IB program coordinator Residence: Mission Viejo Family: Husband John; son Jared, 27 Lyn Alexander's passion for her work quickly comes to light as she fondly describes the photographs that cover the back of her office door. Students with beaming smiles and diplomas in hand. Trips to the Getty Museum and Alpine Retreat Center. Staff members. And the Booster Club's first get-together. The educator refers to the picture collage as sort of a historical display, one that chronicles the goings-on of her group. To staff, parents and students, though, the images are more than school happenings. They're a reminder of educational opportunities brought to the campus by Alexander. "You know, it's really funny," she says. "When you love what you do, it's like you can't say no." The Mission Viejo resident is responsible for bringing the highly regarded International Baccalaureate diploma program, an internationally recognized, rigorous, pre-university course of studies, to the South County private school. Under her direction, more than 59 graduates have received an IB diploma and nearly 250 have received certificates of participation since the first IB class graduated in 1999. Currently, 225 juniors and seniors are enrolled in the two-year program. "I went to (an IB orientation) in Montreal and came back a believer," she says. "I found that their mission statement was exactly the same as Santa Margarita's mission statement. It was like a perfect match. And it's probably the best preparation for college that you can ask for." The program was, and remains, a massive and expensive undertaking. But that hasn't slowed down the 27-year English instructor. She is currently working with 10 interested feeder schools to bring the International Baccalaureate Middle Years program to students in grades 6-10. Currently, there are 110 schools around the world that offer the five-year program. Six of those are in California, none in Orange County. The effort is further intensified by the amount of schools that send students to the private school. The other high schools in California, for example, coordinate with only one feeder school. Alexander must work with more than a half-dozen. Still in the exploration stage, the goal is to begin the program in 2005 with sixth-graders on participating middle school campuses. A grade level will be added each successive year. Alexander, who made the decision to teach while attending high school in Australia, has taught English at the academic, advanced placement and IB level. She previously served as the English department chairwoman and the advanced placement coordinator. Today, she continues to teach one IB English class and serves as the IB program coordinator. Her duties are plentiful and varied, from overseeing staff and managing the department's budget to working with the IB office in New York. In addition to her teaching responsibilities, Alexander also serves as a counselor for all IB full diploma students, adding letters of recommendation, graduation requirement checks and scheduling assistance to the long list of duties that come with the territory. "(The school's administrators have) always allowed people to do great things. They encourage you to explore. They encourage you to bring things to the school. And I've been supported in that," Alexander says. "I'm really blessed." - By Sandy Bennett Jeff Guffey Chaparral Elementary School in Ladera Ranch Position: Third-grade teacher and technology lead teacher Residence: Laguna Niguel Family: Single Among the traditional teaching tools - multiplication charts, overhead projectors, world maps and crates of books - found in Jeff Guffey's third-grade class are ones not so common. Most notably are the laptop computers that sit on the upper, left- hand corner of the majority of his students' desks. "Log in and go to Microsoft Word," he instructs his Chaparral Elementary School class. Tiny fingers immediately respond. With eyes fixed upon the laptop screen, they intently watch their commands come to life as they prepare for a letter-writing assignment. Like a number of other students at the Ladera Ranch campus, many of the kids in Guffey's class participate in the school's voluntary "Learning with Laptops" program. Offered to students in grades 3-6, all 35 classroom teachers and approximately 180 students use Macintosh iBook on a wireless computer network. As Principal Kevin Rafferty notes, "Technology is not a separate subject. We do not study 'computer' any more than we would study 'overhead projector' or 'pencil.'" Rather, it's a learning tool to help students achieve goals that are set for a particular lesson." The idea parallels the community itself, as the developing Ladera Ranch is wired with its own neighborhood connection. Guffey has been instructional in bringing this rare opportunity to such young learners. It is the only such program in Orange County offered at the elementary level and one of few in the nation. The Laguna Niguel resident, who majored in business administration, shocked family and friends more than two decades ago when he left a successful career at DuPont to pursue a teaching career. "I missed working with the kids," says Guffey, who was employed as a classroom aide in the Ocean View school district during senior year in high school and while in college. A 19-year veteran of Capistrano Unified School District, he has taught elementary school-aged children ever since. "They're open to new things," he says of his students. "This is the first year that the group is using the laptops, for instance. There's no fear of making mistakes. They'll try anything. They will experiment with anything to see how different things work. They're just sponges for learning." In addition to his teaching responsibility, Guffey serves as the technology lead teacher at Chaparral. Often the first to arrive on campus in the morning and the last to leave in the evening, he mentors the entire teaching staff on how to use the computers and various software applications, and on ways to implement them into the curriculum. He also serves as the primary trainer at the school's "Laptop Boot Camps," offered to students and parents of new laptop users prior to the start of the school year. And he helps to troubleshoot technical problems when needed. His passion, though, doesn't lie in technology. Rather, it's in his students. The mutual affection shared by Guffey and his pupils can be seen at the end of the school day when the "Three H's" ritual takes place. Students are given the opportunity to offer a handshake, high five or hug as they say good-bye at the door. Most elect to do all three. The educator is also often seen cheering on the sidelines at weekend soccer games, further building up both present and past students. "It's not just in the classroom why teachers are here. We're here for the kids," he says. "We're here to help them become better people." - By Sandy Bennett Lance Novotny St. Margaret's Episcopal School in San Juan Capistrano Position: Middle school Latin teacher Residence: Irvine Family: Wife Debra; daughters Claire Risa, 4, and Maile Rei Ann, 3 Latin and middle school students - incompatible, right? Not when Lance Novotny is at the podium. In fact, he has seventh- and eighth-grade students at St. Margaret's Episcopal school in San Juan Capistrano so revved up about the ancient language that more than 150 of them have joined the Latin Club. What's his secret for making this difficult language so interesting that teens are willing to spend their lunch hour pursuing it? Try on-campus chariot races, gladiator battles and feasts that include Caesar salad and pasta, for a start. Add to that Novotny's extroverted teaching style - his principal claims he resembles an orator on a box - and you can see why students are drawn to him and the subject he teaches. Novotny earned a philosophy degree while studying at a Catholic seminary before transferring to UC Irvine and UCLA to pursue secular studies. "When I look back at myself when I was their age," Novotny reflects about what motivated him to succeed, "it was always a teacher or an adult who loved life and loved what they were doing that was the impetus to drive me to success." Formerly a teacher at Bishop Montgomery High School in Torrance, Novotny is currently in his second year at St. Margaret's and one of five Latin teachers at the school. "I'm happy to be here and the kids know that," he said, trying to explain his popularity. "It's not going to be a drag for them to come to class. I'm going to be happy. I'm not going to lecture them all day." That's an understatement. Latin Jeopardy and "verb races" are common activities in his classroom. When he passes his students in the hall between classes, he greets them in Latin and expects them to respond correctly. Laptops, Internet activities and software programs for Latin all help students explore the language. The school's Latin Club is an organization that promotes the study of the classics, primarily Latin and Roman history. "It gives me the opportunity to work with the kids one-on-one," the 30-year-old instructor explains. "The kids say, 'Wow! Latin is alive. Look at all these kids. They're normal, just like me. I'm not a nerd!'" he laughs. Surely the greatest reason for the students' enthusiasm is Novotny himself. "Life doesn't have to be a cynical place that we have to go into and perform just to make money and survive," he says. "If you grab it by the throat and go for it - carpe diem (seize the day) - life can be wonderful." - By Kimberly Porrazzo Michael Keith Ambrose Cornelia Connelly School in Anaheim Position: Math and science department chairman and teacher Residence: Buena Park Family: Single The young women in Michael Keith Ambrose's math and science classes learn to set aside their fear of lengthy equations, tackle complicated statistics and calculus problems, and put the family drill to use. Yup, a drill. And a hammer. And even a glue gun. Like many top teachers, Ambrose strives to instill excitement in his Cornelia Connelly High School students about the often abstract concepts of math and science. His students are treated to passionate lectures and encouraged to cheer classmates as they work problems at the board. But Ambrose also challenges them to make a trip to the local Home Depot to stock up on supplies to build DC motors and bridges, then write an essay about their experiences. "Especially with Connelly being an all-girls school, I want to help them really overcome social stereotypes and show they can do science and mathematics," he says. "For some of them, it's the first time they picked up a hammer, or stripped wires and connected them to batteries. They'll get the science out of a textbook, but to actually have them focus on the construction and get the experience is something." Ambrose doesn't leave learning to the workshop or textbooks. He leads by example, incorporating his love of the subject into everyday lessons. He reaches students with many different aptitudes by featuring a variety of concepts, including statistics, essay writing and logic puzzles. His students read the autobiography of famed physicist Richard Feynman and attend a theatrical performance about Albert Einstein. They flex their brain power with the same logic puzzles Ambrose likes to examine in his free time. He remembers one student who had earned average grades, but quickly solved a puzzle that stumped the rest of the class. That was her one chance that year to explain a solution to her classmates. "I believe that a teacher should have excitement and passion for the subjects they are teaching," he says. "If students just see you standing at the board repeating stuff that's in the textbook, I don't feel they have an incentive to learn from you. "I'm a nerd," he confesses. "I've always had a fascination with mathematics. There's a subtle beauty with mathematics, how the numbers interconnect and how they can be represented in the real world. My second fascination is in science. I get to show students how all these numbers and processes are used to represent the real world." That passion has prompted Ambrose to pursue a master's degree in mathematics with an emphasis in pedagogy at Cal State Fullerton. "I'm enjoying mathematics more and more, and I'm actually able to share material I'm learning with my students. They love it, especially the fact that I have homework just like them, and the stress on these midterms and final exams just like them." Still, as he masters more complex subjects, Ambrose takes time out to remember what it's like to learn math and science concepts for the first time. He is reminded every summer through his work with gifted adolescents at the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth camp in Santa Cruz. Each year, he spends three weeks working with youngsters and helping them complete challenging labs. And year after year he returns to Connelly in the fall, ready to help manage the student bookstore, sit on a variety of academic committees, serve as a campus mentor, and most of all, to help his classes stride toward mastery of math and the sciences. "There are so many small successes and I treasure them all," he says. "I had one senior who graduated and came back to our annual picnic. Up to the time she had me she thought she could never do mathematics. But she finally felt that she could get this stuff and it was not beyond her grasp. "That was the first year I taught at Connelly. Every year I've come across students who always amaze me with their abilities, their stories. They try so hard and they have so much success. That success may not be an A in the class, but a success for themselves by being able to get on the road to understanding mathematics." - By Jennifer Leuer Mary Jones Tustin High School Position: Resource specialist and special education department chairwoman Residence: Laguna Beach Family: Husband Brian; son George, 38, and daughter Cassie, 19 When Mary Jones first joined Tustin High School in 1974 as a special education teacher, students with learning difficulties were often considered lazy and neglectful. Spending most of the school day in a secluded setting, they were isolated from peers and those experiences offered in mainstream classes. Discouraged, many simply gave up and dropped out. The learning experience for special education students at the Tustin campus has dramatically changed since then, largely because of the compassion and efforts of Jones. "Think of when you and I were in school," says the Laguna Beach resident. "There were always those teachers who would say, 'Quit daydreaming, quit daydreaming.' Well, they weren't daydreaming. Those were the ADD kids. At least now, they have an avenue for success, instead of being yelled at." Jones, honored in 2002 with Tustin High's Teacher of the Year award, serves as a resource specialist as well as the special education department chairwoman. Before 1988, the small group was not even recognized as a department. Today, it is the largest division on campus, with more than a dozen teachers and 20 instructional aides serving more than 200 special education students. While the majority of these students have cognitive abilities that are average or above average - some, even gifted - their success often is hampered by a learning disability, such as dyslexia or attention deficit disorder. To assist these students, Jones has helped to implement and oversees numerous programs. One is a directed study class where students are taught a range of learning techniques to use in the mainstream classrooms. Along with a freshman English class, Jones teaches two directed studies classes for seniors. Like others in the department, she also collaborates with a mainstream teacher - in her case, an English teacher. Under the collaborative model, resource specialist program teachers work in a mainstream class along with the teacher, keeping them apprised of material covered, assignments and ways to offer academic support. In-services and consultations, held to assist the mainstream teachers in ways to work and cope with special-needs students, further support the joint venture. Her efforts don't end on campus. Seniors in the program, for example, are taken to local community colleges each year to familiarize them with the campuses and to meet staff who will provide support at the college level. And Jones is a member of numerous committees, including the Council for Exceptional Children and the Irvine Valley College Advisory Council for Special Education. Such care - along with extensive communication among staff members, regular classroom teachers, the school nurse and psychologist, and parents - has brought much success. Today, the majority of the school's special education students spend 80 percent of their day in mainstream classes, thus better equipping them for the realities of college and business life. Others, with more severe conditions, find success in elective classes such as art, foods and woodshop, and often can be seen performing in school productions. "It's so exciting to teach them because the kids are so different," says Jones. "And all of them can be successful, I think, but they have to figure out how to use their strengths and overcome their weaknesses. And then, they can go as far as they want." - By Sandy Bennett |
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