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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 at the high schools where labs and 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 more than 100 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. Paul Lewanski Chemistry teacher at Tustin High School One of five educators recently named California Teacher of the Year; he will represent the state as a National Teacher of the Year nominee. Residence: North Tustin Family: Wife Yolanda; sons Jan, 18, and Greg, 15 It isn't easy to instill a love of chemistry in a high school student. All that memorization - the periodic table of elements, organic nomenclature and structural formulas - is enough to reduce most teenagers to tears. But step into Paul Lewanski's class at Tustin High School and chemistry starts to make sense - if you really listen. "Chemistry is the central science that explains biology and leads us to physics," Lewanski says. "Once you start making all the connections, it's a fun place to be." Not convinced? Let him explain. Instead of assigning a biography of a famous chemist, Lewanski asks his students to prepare a job resume of someone such as Marie Curie and apply for a teaching position at the high school, with an interview by the class. Name: Marie Curie, born Maria Sklodowska. Goals: "To ease human suffering." Accomplishments: Discovered radium, paving the way to nuclear physics and cancer therapy. Awards: Nobel Peace Prize (2) Physics in 1903, Chemistry in 1911. - References Available Upon Request "My favorite quote is from Albert Einstein, who said that imagination is more important than knowledge," Lewanski says. "Knowledge is finite, but imagination takes us to what we don't know." It's that kind of passion and imagination that put Lewanski, a Tustin High graduate who has worked in education for 18 years, among five earning the California Teacher of the Year award. He also will represent the state as a National Teacher of the Year nominee. Lewanski finds it "mind-boggling" to be chosen among 640,000 teachers in California (being a scientist, he calculated there's a .0001 percent chance of that happening.) "Personally, I'm a little embarrassed by all the hoopla, but I am incredibly honored," he said before learning of his selection. "This is a complete validation of what my life is all about. The disadvantage about being Teacher of the Year is all the demands on my time. It bothers me when I'm not in the classroom, not there for that off-the-mark question to say, 'Let me take you someplace else, let me help you think a different way about that.'" A Civil War re-enactment buff, Lewanski sometimes wears a uniform to class and discusses the influence of science on warfare technology in the mid-1800s. During the holiday season, his class decorates a "Chemis-tree" with ornaments like a spiraling garland of the entire period chart or a detailed model of a nuclear reactor. "I like to do unusual things with my students, make it interesting and get them to communicate in ways they might not think about that makes it more meaningful," Lewanski says. "Once kids buy into it, they learn without knowing it." The only son of a career Marine, Lewanski bounced around America and used his imagination for entertainment. He was always taking things apart and putting them back together from his bike to his 1959 VW Beetle. After graduating from Tustin High School, he attended UC Irvine to study medicine, but was convinced by a former teacher to go into education. However, after he got his credentials in 1975 he couldn't find a classroom job and ended up at Disneyland as a ride operator. He met his wife of 22 years, Yolanda, when they worked together on It's A Small World. After 16 years at Disney (he climbed the ladder to project coordinator for Tokyo Disney), Lewanski got his first paid teaching job 1984 - and started sharing his "real life" experience with students, who learn about more than chemistry in his class. "I know what it's like to be disappointed, confused, not know what you want to do," he says. "Sometimes life doesn't work out the way it's supposed to. But if you hang on, keep trying and never give up...you just might end up with a wonderful life." - By Genevieve Anton Re' Grams Kindergarten teacher at Stoneybrooke Christian School in San Juan Capistrano Residence: Laguna Hills Family: Husband Jere, who teaches at Trabuco Hills High School; son, Ryan, 22; and daughters Nicolette, 20, and Suzanna, 17 It was 2 p.m. on a recent Wednesday, the last hour of class for a group of kindergarteners whose school day begins at 8:30 a.m. Yet had it not been for the clock mounted above the classroom door, no one would have been able to tell. The Stoneybrooke Christian School students, both attentive and enthusiastic, seemed as if they had just been granted an exciting new experience. So did their leader, Re' Grams, who has been teaching for more than 21 years, 10 of which have been at Stoneybrooke. Indeed, children become imitators of those they are around. "I believe God gifted me to be a teacher," she says. "I can't see myself doing anything else." Her gift, as well as her passion for teaching - one she's held since age 5 - quickly come to light as she interacts with students. The Laguna Hills resident, who usually maintains more energy than her 17 bustling students, appears to glide about the room. One moment, she's bent over talking with a student, the next, sitting on the floor eye to eye with another. Soon after, she's leading the entire group. All the while, she integrates different learning modalities and is sensitive to varying intelligence levels. Despite the challenge at hand, which includes an increasingly difficult curriculum being introduced at a younger and younger age, the magical moments of kindergarten are very much alive in Room KB. At the same time, though, her room is amazingly orderly. So impressive are her teaching and discipline techniques, the Western Michigan University graduate has been called upon to lead workshops on classroom management at other Southern California schools and was asked to speak at the annual Association of Christian Schools. A clap, clap, clap and snap, snap, snap puts the pint-sized students at a standstill. At the sound, all eyes fix on their teacher as they watch for what she is going to sign. At the direction of her hand movements, the children quietly respond. For Grams, though, the use of sign language goes beyond classroom management and as a means to keep students alert. It's also one of the many ways she helps them foster an appreciation for those who are different. Besides subjects such as reading, math and history, lessons learned in her class also include kindness, love and compassion. This year's class, for example, is supporting "The City Dump Ministry" in Quito, Ecuador. Students bring in a quarter each week that they have earned for an extra chore to help support the families who live off items gathered in the dump. They also send e-mails and write the families through those in charge of the ministry. "I feel as though living in Orange County we often lose perspective of what the real world is," she says. "The world is a giant expanse of wonder and people. And I just think we get lost in 'everything is done this way.'" Such concepts are further emphasized in creatively planned lessons. Through a recent history presentation, students learned that Native Americans had other shelter besides teepees, including igloos, big houses and long houses, depending on the region in which they lived. "It doesn't mean it is better or worse," she told her captivated audience when they got to the igloo. "It's just different." - By Sandy Bennett Adela Stella Head of the Performing Arts Department at Fairmont Private Schools in Anaheim Residence: Mission Viejo Family: Husband of 37 years Richard; daughter Jill and son-in-law Scott; granddaughter Alexandra; and parents Margaret and Mario Bellardi With an upright piano and her own corner of the school gymnasium, Adela Stella launched Fairmont Private School's music program 30 years ago. After rehearsals galore, her first student production opened on a wooden stage erected on the playfields. Just as the fledgling elementary performers reached the middle of one song, the damp grass shorted out the sound system. That fizzled electric keyboard may have put a damper on the first production, but it ignited an interest in music and theater in Fairmont's families. Stella's gift of music has grown greater as the school has expanded from one campus to six. She now invites toe-tapping audiences back to the school's auditorium for two major productions a year. Stella savors her time with students, helping the quiet ones find confidence on stage and giving everyone an important part to play. "Just the joy of seeing them up on that stage and blossoming," she says. "I double cast everything and then make up parts so every child has something special to do. That's really my goal. Even if it's making an entrance and saying two lines, they're all going to have their moment." Stella knows what it's like to have those moments. She started playing piano at age 5 and was on stage at 6. She attended the School of Performing Arts in New York, a campus made famous by "Fame." After moving to California, she answered a newspaper advertisement for a part-time music teacher. She was hired two days a week at Fairmont to build a music program. When Stella started work, there were no music books, no instruments, no drama classes. Today, she oversees a vibrant performing arts department with several music and drama teachers. She's most proud of the school's recent purchase of instruments for every elementary campus and the creation of the high school's first orchestra this year. Building the program has not been a solo act, Stella says. "You can't have success by yourself. The teachers, parents, administration, students - if they didn't care enough to do the work, nothing would show. It's a joint effort." Although the school's professional productions put Stella in the spotlight, she says her passion is working one-on-one with students in the classroom. "I have more fun than I think any teacher should have," she says. "It's pure joy to watch the kids blossom. They come running to my room. I don't have to fight with them about this subject. It's so rewarding to listen to these kids." Stella hopes for a few more exceptionally rewarding moments during her tenure at Fairmont. Her granddaughter recently started preschool at Fairmont and Stella is excited to have her in class and see her on stage. She also looks forward to watching the school's arts program blossom and compete with the top arts programs in the county. "The arts gives you something you take with you your whole life," she says. "It's a sense of creativity and a sense of yourself. You anchor yourself so much when you anchor yourself in the arts. There's real excitement when you're on stage and I don't think you can capture that anywhere else. It's a passion you have. I know myself and I know I can communicate that to kids. I know I have passion." - By Jennifer Leuer Betsy S. Basich Heritage Oak Private School in Yorba Linda Residence: Yorba Linda Family: Husband Frank; children Michael, 27, and Michelle, 25 Fairy tales come true in Betsy Basich's third-grade classroom. Sure, Basich's students celebrate the end of the year with a Royal Ball pulled from the pages of Grimm's Fairy Tales. But that's just the beginning. Every day, Basich's classroom is alive with the kind of inspired teaching for which parents dream. Students learn much more than the ABCs - they practice etiquette and manners, singing and even how to cut a rug. Best of all, they learn to be excited about learning. Basich's inspiration simply comes from her students. "You have to love children," she says. "If you love children, you love to teach. It's like a vocation. It's innate, it's within you." Her inspiration also comes from her own childhood memories. Before her lessons, she thinks about the heavy-handed teachers she endured and makes sure not to emulate them. Instead, she transforms into characters they are studying, like a caveman ambling around the classroom. "When I see their eyes open wide, it makes me feel they are learning and they can see what I'm doing," she says. "I make it alive to them so they understand. When I see them enjoy learning and I see the progress in them, it makes me feel so good." Basich's teaching career started at the age of 17 in the Philippines. Later, she worked for a United Nations project and also earned a master's degree in economics and demography. But she always kept her heart in the classroom, teaching part time even then. "Sometimes I need a break," says Basich, who also ran a travel agency at one time. "I don't want the children to be tired of me nor do I want myself to be tired of teaching." Basich is anything but tired of her Heritage Oak Private School classroom, where she has worked for 14 years. She loves the school's sequential curriculum, its approach to academics and the focus on individual students' needs through small group work and one-on-one time. She also enjoys the freedom to impart life lessons. "This you will carry with you as long as you live," she says of values and manners. "This is something nobody can take away from you and something you give to your children's children. I don't call it nagging, but if you remind them, most of the time it will get into (their heads). Children will go to another grade and they come back to me and tell me, `You did something for me.' It means I must have touched their lives one way or another." Basich touches many areas of students' lives in one short year. She loves music and although she doesn't coordinate the school's choir program any longer, she infuses songs and dancing into her classroom. She penned a solar system song so they can learn the names and order of planets. Hum along to another tune and you'll soon be learning how many days are in each month of the year. "Sometimes I tell myself I wish I had a teacher like me when I was in school," she says. "I can see the spark in the children. Teaching the children is feeling what they're excited about, and I feel it too." - By Jennifer Leuer Kamee Nuzman English teacher at Tesoro High School in Rancho Santa Margarita Residence: Ladera Ranch Family: Husband Jaren and "120 kids I get to hang out with at school" How, at just 27 years old and with only four years of teaching experience, do you receive such acclaim by parents, students and staff? Loving what you do helps. Truly caring for your students is critical. And a passion for the subject you teach may be the most important component of all. Kamee Nuzman possesses all of these essential qualities and as a result has catapulted from the "new teacher" classification to one of the most beloved teachers at Tesoro High School in Rancho Santa Margarita. "Every morning I wake up and tell my husband, 'I get to go to high school today!'" Nuzman laughs. Her enthusiasm is contagious. Students love her and parents are grateful. "Her enthusiasm, positive approach and encouragement made a huge difference in Jeff's self-confidence," one mother wrote about Nuzman. "Many teachers lose that enthusiasm and don't focus in on kids who may need a little more encouragement." One of Nuzman's students wrote: "She has made an immense impact on my life...I count down the time until her class! Each class period I know we will do something really interesting and I won't be wasting my time." Nuzman has students looking forward to English class in large part due to her teaching style. "I started out studying theater (in college)," she says. "Then I discovered this passion for literature and film." Nuzman also had fond memories of her own time in high school, due to a drama teacher. She decided to combine all her loves and teach at the high school level. Of her more dramatic teaching style, she says, "That's probably why I feel so comfortable in front of the class, because of my background in drama and public speaking." She adds, "I think it helps to articulate ideas and engage students." Another student wrote: "Every day she makes our lessons fun with her quirky and creative enthusiasm and activities." But the students also appreciate the expectation of high standards. "Even though our English II accelerated class is a time-consuming and hard class, she makes us want to do the work and stay involved." Nuzman has somehow found that elusive formula for teaching the mandated standards while at the same time showing the students why it matters that they know these things. "I think what I work hard to do is to take what they have to learn with the standards and somehow connect it to their lives." She cited how she explains the real reason students need to study a WWI novel. "They learn respect for veterans...they have an understanding of their freedom...they develop a new respect for their relatives who fought in the war - anything that makes it relate to them and be valuable in some way." A 10th-grader says it best. "She is my 10th-grade accelerated English teacher and she has literally changed my life." What greater praise is there for a teacher? - By Kimberly A. Porrazzo Candy Mack Eighth grade science teacher at Los Alisos Intermediate School in Mission Viejo Residence: Norco Family: Husband Jeff; son Jarrett, 20; and daughter Terra, 17 Candy Mack's eighth-grade students received a warning early on that their physical science teacher was a little "offbeat" when she sang lyrics from a Matchbox Twenty song, "I'm not crazy; I'm just a little unwell." Today, other than knowing she will be standing outside to greet each and every one of them, they never know what to expect once they pass through the classroom door. The Los Alisos Intermediate School classroom could be the site of a murder scene, complete with yellow tape, an outline of the body and their teacher dressed in an doctor's jacket. Their challenge: to identify the killer, cleverly disguised, through a series of clues. Or the room might be transformed into a game show, "Wheel of Properties," for a lesson on physical and chemical properties by their host Vanna White. "I know there are teachers who believe it shouldn't be a performance, but to me it should because you're competing against some pretty tough stuff," says Mack, one of five teachers honored this year with the Orange County Teacher of the Year Award. "And if I'm going to compete with computers and video games and digital 3-D, the music and everything else, then I've got to have a trick to reel them in." But it's not just her creative ability to engage students in the subject of science that makes this 20-year educator stand out. Ask her how many kids she has and her response will be 157 - two of her own and her 155 students. "Because I teach the way I do and try to involve them and interact with them, I really get to know the kids," she says. "And to me, getting to know the person they are, that's just as important as the knowledge I'm going to give them." While she takes them all under her wing, the ones closest to her heart are the students who often evoke moans from other teachers at the mere mention of their name. In fact, she asks for the "at-risk" students - ones who have made poor choices involving drugs or alcohol or run the risk of failing in school - to be placed in her class. "I want them to know they're important and they count because for many of them at this point they're feeling like they don't. I want them to feel like they matter just as much as the honors student does." Known for her ability to turn around at-risk students, she often relies on her previous experiences in special education and work at a psychiatric hospital to help other children. This year, for example, she enlisted a boy who failed eighth grade last year to be her classroom aide. Besides putting him in a leadership position, she also tutors him, communicates with his dad on a daily basis and sometimes drives the student home. Currently, she is looking for a place near school where she can watch him play basketball. The added attention has made a huge difference for the adolescent. Worried about getting behind in his schoolwork after being sick for two days, he phoned Mack to see if she could get his missed assignments early. Last year, he would have used his absence as an excuse for not turning it in. "Some people collect stray pets. Some people have their pet projects to save something, such as saving the whales," she says. "Mine is saving kids. They're kids that, with a little bit of time and effort, know that you care." - By Sandy Bennett Kathleen Sigafoos Coordinator of the International Baccalaureate program and an IB and advanced placement instructor at San Clemente High School Residence: San Clemente Family: Husband Jim; daughters Jennifer, 31, and Stephanie, 28; and son James, 30, a first-year English teacher at Tesoro High School As coordinator of the International Baccalaureate program at San Clemente High School, Kathleen Sigafoos's charge is much more than providing students with a competitive edge in the admissions' process to top universities. Taking the long view, she prepares them for the rigors of the college experience as well as to be active participants in society. "It's a real emphasis on making them citizens. Whether it's a citizen of the world, or of your community or your nation, you have responsibilities to stay informed, to know what's going on, to have opinions that are informed. And I think all of that is supported by this involvement in the IB program," she says. "It gives students a more sophisticated understanding of the world they live in and then, hopefully, they will then be better citizens of our country." The San Clemente resident played an instrumental role in bringing the highly regarded program, an internationally recognized, rigorous, pre-university course of studies, to the South County school. She also teaches both IB and advanced placement classes. Despite the time commitment, she and her husband Jim are often seen watching students perform in the school's drama productions; they frequently attend athletic events. For the past three years, the couple have taken youth from the Model United Nations program to UC Berkeley to participate in the United Nations Conference. And they started San Clemente High's Grad Night, along with two other parents, during their oldest daughter's senior year at the school. More recently, the couple helped form the nonprofit San Clemente High School Education Foundation, which raises funds to provide academic support to all students. With the help of enlisted community members, the foundation provides after-school tutoring, college counseling and a student-mentoring program. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Sigafoos received her bachelor's degree at UCLA. At age 22, she enrolled in a Ph.D. program at UC Irvine, where she earned a master's degree in history and her teaching credential. Married soon after, she taught for one year, then returned to the profession when her own children were in high school. In all, she has taught 16 years, 10 of which have been at San Clemente High School. Her reach, though, extends beyond the ocean-city campus. She and her husband, for example, were involved early on with a core group of people to establish an AYSO program in San Clemente. The couple, married for 32 years, served as co-commissioners for two years and refereed for numerous others. Today, the region serves thousands of youth. She also helps students find volunteer opportunities in the community. As a second component of the IB program, students must complete 150 hours of Creativity Action Service, part of which must be in community service. In all, students have provided thousands of service hours. "I think people look at community service as a one-way thing; you're giving, giving, giving," she says. "What I have discovered about community service is you gain as much from it as you give. And I think that's probably the thing our students who also are involved realize." - By Sandy Bennett Noel Green St. Margaret's Episcopal School in San Juan Capistrano Residence: Mission Viejo Family: Single Noel Green teaches seventh-grade world geography and eighth-grade U.S. history at St. Margaret's, a K-12 private school in San Juan Capistrano. Although these are turbulent times for a teacher to talk about America's role in the world and our country's place in history, Green doesn't shy away from the tough questions that weigh on the minds of his 12- and 13-year-old students. His class has been discussing world events such as the Mideast conflict and the Iraq war. He says, "We talk about difficult things in the news, like why the U.S. might be disliked in other parts of the world. I want my students to be able to understand the various viewpoints involved, and still be proud of their country." Green's classes take on challenging projects such as producing news broadcasts regarding the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. One class writes and produces a news broadcast from the Israeli point of view, and one class writes and produces a broadcast from the Palestinian point of view. Lisa Merryman, dean of faculty at St. Margaret's, says of his news broadcasts, "Mr. Green knows that his students will gain a much broader understanding of the conflict if they have participated in defending a position." Green says, "We are trying to realize that they're all just people, just humans, who need to talk through their problems rather than resorting to violence." If it sounds like heavy intellectual pursuit, rest assured that the students are energized by it. Merryman says, "Noel's classes are the best part of the day for some students. He knows how to make class both fun and relevant. But Mr. Green has high standards. His students work hard." After school, he takes the same high standards onto the playing field or court as a coach. He oversees the JV basketball team, is assistant coach of the varsity basketball team, and head coach of the middle-school flag football team. A previous Coach of the Year award winner, Green says, "I think the most important thing for students, in class and in sports, is mental toughness. If you as an athlete or a student can stay mentally strong and focused, you'll do well. "I was coaching basketball the other day and one of my players didn't get a foul call he thought he should have. He stopped playing, and looked at me. I told him you can't worry about things not under your control, just keep doing your job." His students respond to his demands for focus because of his outgoing and enthusiastic approach to his job. He frequently speaks at school convocations and volunteers to announce games for the sports program. His schedule at St. Margaret's is busy enough that it's hard to find time to talk when he's not being approached with a question about sports or class, but Green faces his daily commitments to the students with a laugh and a smile. "The coaching helps my teaching and the teaching helps my coaching." Green gives his students credit for being able to hold their own in discussions of tough topics during class, and after school he encourages more of the same mental toughness as a coach. "It's all about just doing the responsible thing, whether it's in class or on the court," he says. It's not as demanding of the students as it might sound, because he does it in a manner that's "fresh" and "colorful." As Lisa Merryman stated in her nominating letter, "Noel Green's inspirational presence is remarkable." - By David Kries Lainie McGann Second-grade teacher and technology coordinator at Newport Coast Elementary School Residence: Turtle Ridge Family: Father Pat; mother Linda Blomquist; and brother Michael, 26 After every school day, 28-year-old Lainie McGann asks herself the tough question, "Did I do enough?" It's this guiding principle to go above and beyond her calling that makes McGann "a model teacher and the perfect candidate for this award," says Monique VanVeebroeck, principal of Newport Coast Elementary School. "Lainie has it all. She's a great teacher, a great communicator. And she has catapulted us into a place of technology where we wouldn't be if it weren't for her." These days, technology is McGann's buzzword. She has taken the initiative - attending seminars and reading stacks of material on her own time - to integrate computer technology into the curriculum at Newport Coast "so it makes learning even more fun for kids." As the school's technology coordinator two days a week, she works double duty to ensure that every teacher and student (567 total) becomes computer-savvy. Her long-term goal is to outfit all 25 classrooms with four to five computers each. At about $1,000 a pop, that's a hefty undertaking. But thanks to McGann's ingenuity, the school is halfway there. Last May, she entered a nationwide contest sponsored by NEC for which she wrote and directed a two-minute video illustrating how easily NEC technology works in the classroom. Her video hit the bull's-eye and she nabbed the $50,000 first-place prize at Infocom in Florida. "When I called the school, they were so excited, they were freaking out!" says the energetic educator, who readily admits she has no computer background and has owned only one PC in her life. Lately, it's been some kind of wonderful for McGann. Last February, she was voted Teacher of the Year at Newport Coast and was named one of the Top 10 Teachers in Newport-Mesa Unified School District. Not bad for someone who didn't have her sights set on teaching, originally. She entered college as a psychology major. But now she couldn't imagine doing anything else. "I get really excited to come to school and see their smiling faces," McGann explains. "What I love about second-graders is that they're still so passionate about learning. It's really exciting to see them grow." But mostly, she works for hugs. "It's my favorite part about teaching." Her most memorable teaching moment? With misty eyes, McGann recalls one student whose parents pulled her out of class a lot so she could spend time with her itinerant father whenever he breezed into town. One day, she poured her heart out to her teacher about how torn she was between school and family. McGann empathized because her own father was a pilot, and assured her that everything would be OK. That fragment of one-on-one time had a huge impact on the little girl. She later wrote the compassionate McGann a three-page letter about how important that day was to her. "What if I hadn't made the choice to talk to her?" McGann wonders. "It's times like this when I realize there are many opportunities to touch a child's life. That's what is so magical about teaching." - By Lynn Armitage Rebecca Martinez English teacher and coordinator of a program for at-risk students at El Modena High School in Orange Residence: Orange Family: Husband Rick; daughters Desiree, 23, and Christin, 21 When the Collaborative Technology Program, originally called the Computer Academy, first opened at El Modena High School, it was built on a prayer: a place to put struggling students, then hope for the best. Today, under the guidance of program coordinator Rebecca Martinez, both the standards and objectives have been raised. "We want our kids to go to college whereas before it was, 'if we can just get them though high school,'" says the 12-year educator. A school within a school, the program is funded by a California Partnership Academy Grant. Martinez, who works with two other teachers, makes certain that the English, history and technology components operate smoothly and also teaches the English section. This year, 120 students are enrolled in the program - 40 sophomores, 40 juniors and 40 seniors. One-third of these students are model students. The other two-thirds have been identified as at-risk. "We call them at-risk even though I hate that word, that's such a label," says Martinez. "My response to at-risk is we're all at-risk. I'm at-risk; you're at-risk." The reality of her words sends an eerie chill. Several yards away, a memorial has been created for student Diego Gonzalez, who was found murdered Nov. 10 at a construction site. Numerous bouquets of flowers, some recently placed, others wilted, spread across a large, grassy area in front of the school. Mixed in are dozens of candles, floating metallic balloons and messages written on various-sized paper and poster boards. One sign reads, "We Already Miss You, Diego." As they mourn the star wrestler's death, Martinez' students have the opportunity to realize their dreams. Seniors in the program graduate not only with a vision but a course of action to make it a reality. Two years ago, the English instructor implemented an assignment, called the exit portfolio. The time-intensive requirement requires each senior to identify a goal, then - through research, interviews, job shadowing and other requirements - outline the steps they will take to achieve it. Clothed in professional dress, seniors present their portfolio in a format of their choosing to a professional board for evaluation at the end of the school year. Besides the exit portfolio, Martinez, who also is the adviser of the Pep Squad and president of the school's faculty-staff organization, finds a career mentor for each junior in the program. She helps students find scholarship opportunities and brings in representatives from nearby colleges as guest speakers, as well as speakers for a parent education series that she organizes. Today, the program has a 98 percent graduation rate. "Even the smallest successes to me are the biggest rewards. If one kid gets it...that's worth every second you put into this," she says. "It's ironic this is a teacher making a difference. No, it's kids making a difference." Martinez' passion for teaching was evident at age 5 when she used to play school in the garage. Four years later, her dad, a teacher at Long Beach Poly, took her to work with him. That was the day she knew she would become a teacher. The Orange resident first got married and had been a full-time mom to her two daughters for nine years before she went back to school part time. She attended Santiago Canyon College, formerly called Rancho Santiago College, two nights a week, toiling away at units for five years. She then transferred as a full-time student to Chapman University where she earned her bachelor's degree and a master's in education. "I always wanted to serve for some reason," she say. "It's just addictive, I think." - By Sandy Bennett |
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