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Reporting on our annual salute are Associate Editor Sandy Bennett, Senior Writers Lynn Armitage and Kimberly A. Porrazzo, education reporter Jennifer Leuer, and Executive Editor Craig Reem. 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. Our seventh annual salute to 10 Teachers Making a Difference is about the educator who thinks beyond the homework assignment and instead opens doors to possibilities. Says one: “They need time in their day to just kind of unwind. Not that I’m an easy art teacher. But I think it’s important for kids to just kind of look around and appreciate the beauty in the world.” Imagine, within the confines of today’s educational world, with pressures to improve scores each year, teachers help students see the bigger picture. At least the great ones do. And that is the rationale for our annual list. The teachers profiled here are a subjective selection (we have 11 from 10 schools this year). But they are an objective reflection of Orange County’s best of the best. So it is comforting that these teachers expect their students to reach for the stars. Says another of the teachers: “Instead of trying to get out of stuff, I want them to come up with solutions to problems.” 01 Nahyon Lee Residence: Costa Mesa Family: Single; dog named Chula School: 10th-grade teacher at Sage Hill School in Newport Beach She is well-traveled, well-educated and well-spoken. Students at Sage Hill High School in Newport Beach are blessed to have Nahyon Lee as their teacher. Born in Seoul, Korea, the 29-year-old came to the U.S. with her family in 1981. Raised in Minnesota, she would attend Bowdoin College in Maine and study government and the environment. After being awarded the Won Watson Fellowship, she was able to study on her own in Spain, Argentina, Chile and Venezuela, analyzing and reporting on “political expression through national dances.” Last summer, Lee won a Fulbright Memorial fund to study the Japanese education system while traveling to Tokyo and Saga, Japan. She brings all of this, along with a master’s degree from Brown University, into her 10th-grade classroom. Having decided to become an educator while working with disadvantaged students as a junior in college, Lee now emphasizes diversity and community service through her teaching. “I was particularly moved by the school’s mission, which incorporates service-learning into the curriculum,” Lee explains. “I work with juniors. We went to a soup kitchen in Costa Mesa and made sandwiches. Last year we did programs for Habitat for Humanity. Kids learn a lot from it.” She tries to create an awareness among her students, an understanding that the world outside of Newport Beach needs their strength and their talents. She reminds them that the most influential moments in her life were those she spent doing service work. “These kids are bright and they will go out and do great things. If I can contribute so they can become more aware of their society and make it a better place, I’ve succeeded.” In addition to her classroom duties teaching European history, she also acts as adviser to the school’s newspaper, The Bolt, and to the martial arts club. She has led many initiatives at the school focusing on diversity. “Teaching isn’t just about educating kids in the classroom. It’s about everything else that goes along with enlightening kids’ minds.” Where will Lee’s career in education take her? She is anxious to make a contribution to the reformation of our public education system. “I’m interested in education policy. I would love to be a part of a group that can look at how to make our school system better.” Citing concerns over literacy rates, the time spent on preparing for standardized tests and the size of classrooms in public schools, she believes something has to be done differently. For now, she is delighted by the students she shares each day with and feels that she has “blossomed into a teacher because of the people I’m surrounded by.” - By Kimberly A. Porrazzo 02 Keith Christian Residence: Anaheim Family: Wife Diane; children Nicole, 6, and Shawn, 4 School: Teacher of visually-impaired class at Clara Barton Elementary School in Anaheim Keith Christian’s visually-impaired students encounter many challenges in their day-to-day lives, but they have no excuses in his classroom. He won’t take “I can’t” as a response to a request and constantly challenges his students to solve the many problems they encounter. After all, these are many of the same problems he’s encountered throughout his life as a visually-impaired person. Legally blind at birth, Christian’s teaching is intensely personal and he draws on everyday experiences to model for his 20 students. “I share with them my experiences and background, whether I bump into stuff and tell them how I feel or how I deal with blindness,” he says. “It’s quite a challenge to be blind or visually impaired. I try to give them strategies of how I’ve dealt with it and how it is what you make it. The less of a big deal you make it, the better.” That doesn’t mean ignoring one’s blindness, however. Christian says he’s recently come to accept the inability to see. “In the last 10 years or so, I really made the transition from a person who tried to be a sighted person to with being OK with being blind,” he says. Christian responds to daily life with humor, vigor and excitement. After teaching visually-impaired middle school students in Los Angeles, he moved to Clara Barton Elementary last school year to tackle a multi-level classroom with students in kindergarten through sixth grade. Besides teaching lessons from seven grade levels, Christian also has students who have other disabilities or don’t speak fluent English. Christian hopes that teaching students the right attitude, preparedness and strong problem-solving skills will help them open up opportunities for themselves. “They should be able to participate in everything from eating lunch to playing on the playground to competing for grades on the same plane or level as everybody else. I want to get them to the point where if a teacher says we’re going to be making a map of Russia, instead of them saying, ‘I can’t do it, I’m blind’ they say, ‘I may not be able to do that, but I bet I can describe the topography of Russia.’ Instead of trying to get out of stuff, I want them to come up with solutions to problems.” Indeed, Christian has spent most of his life “getting into stuff.” As a youth, he rode motorcycles and participated in many activities alongside his siblings. He has a passion for woodworking and is quite the handyman around the house. This winter, he is building an addition on his home in Anaheim. “I want the kids to understand in the long run that a school setting is a safe place to make mistakes and learn from them because we’re all going to make mistakes,” he says. - By Jennifer Leuer 03 Cristina Vicente Residence: Chino Hills Family: Husband Scott School: She is a fourth-grade teacher at Pio Pico Elementary School, Santa Ana It is not at all unusual when Cristina Vicente asks that the question, “motivation to become a teacher,” be saved for the last. For so many teachers, the calling runs so deep that what seems like a simple query often becomes a struggle to answer simply. But she answers, at the end of the interview, this way: “I love learning, and I love kids; a teacher never stops learning.” A native of the Philippines, Vicente, 29, in her sixth year of teaching, understands the difficulty of developing English as a second language. While her first language was Tagalog, the majority of her students first learned Spanish in the home. “I don’t have this notion that their language learning is a deficit. From this empathy, I’m able to feel them out; I’m able to read their expressions and whether they understand it. Having to learn English myself, I have an insight into what their struggles might be. One of Vicente’s many gifts is her passion for science education. In an era where children consider landing on the moon as ancient history, and GameBoys as scientific research, the struggle to interest today’s American student in science is a big one. This is a reason why Orange County’s most famous scientist, the late Arnold Beckman, donated millions to local science education. And Santa Ana students have a winner on their side. Vicente just earned her National Board Certification a national designation given after rigorous studies, with hers being in teaching English as a new language. She is Santa Ana Unified School District’s science trainer, curriculum guide writer, and a master teacher. And another strength is her ability to translate all of her knowledge to her mostly 9-year-olds and their parents. “I write songs about science, we write poems, we write literature,” she says. “The kids are just curious about the world around them. We study about rocks, and bring in lots of rocks. We make it real by bringing the real stuff in.” By connecting science to everyday life, Vicente is able to open the floor to inquisitive minds. While it would be a joyous moment to have a student be among those who someday explore Mars, Vicente is hopeful that her group “will discover something.” Despite a common misconception that a teacher’s day ends at the 2:50 p.m. bell, Vicente keeps tabs beyond the classroom, interacting with parents, many of whom are immigrants unfamiliar with the American school system. “I just open the door to them, so they can learn a bit about what an American classroom looks like. “The parents love it. My parent training is packed; they want it, especially for the elementary-age children.” And when the door opens, there stands Cristina Vicente. By Craig Reem 04 Charlotte Hawkins Residence: Ladera Ranch Family: Husband Randy; four children, Brennan, 16, Emilee, 13, Garrett, 9, and Meghan, 7 School: Coordinator for Student Success Program at Mariners Christian School in Costa Mesa The character traits of Anne Sullivan, recently described by a group of third-grade students at Mariners Christian School who were reading about Helen Keller, mirror those of their own teacher: patient and loving. The similarities between the two educators, though, go far beyond what was discussed in the reading class. Like Sullivan, their teacher Charlotte Hawkins was told by professionals that one young child would “never be able to do anything.” The difference, though, was that it wasn’t a student. It was her own son who suffered from a series of complications after being born three months prematurely. Today, her son Garrett, now 9, attends school in a regular classroom setting and is at grade level in every subject except math. He also serves as a daily inspiration for his mother, who works with students who need assistance to help get them on track. “Seeing what he’s overcome and what he’s been capable of doing motivates me to stay doing this,” she says. “Because I know these kids can overcome their issues.” Hawkins, who has been teaching at the Costa Mesa-based private Christian school for 17 years, started the school’s Student Success Program four years ago to assist those in need of extra help. As coordinator of the program, she works one-on-one with families and teachers, helping to educate them on the signs to look for. She makes recommendations for classroom success. She also teaches groups of children who lag behind in reading or have mild learning difficulties. “I think being forced into learning about the brain is what really fired me as far as learning more about neurodevelopment and how that can be transferred into a classroom setting and how teachers can change the way that they teach,” she says. “It made me more aware of different learning styles and that it’s not just a child whose not paying attention.” Currently, she works with a first-grade group, a second-grade group and a third-grade group, which range in size from five to nine students. As part of her charge, she is involved in proper placement in reading groups and assessment of progress through academic testing. Her aim is to see that each student reaches reading grade level by the end of third grade. Though their struggles are far less than Helen Keller’s or her own son’s, her passion to help them be successful is just as strong. “I was always drawn to the child who didn’t get it,” she says. “I felt like, ‘There’s got to be a way we can get this child through this.’” By Sandy Bennett 05 Richard Messenger Residence: Irvine Family: Most reside in Iowa School: Vocal music director at Irvine High Spend just a few minutes talking about music with Richard Messenger and it will be clear that the man is passionate about music. “Music is a window to the beauty that is all around us…to the best that is in us.” The Irvine High School vocal music director knew he was going to teach music as early as the fourth grade. “We started every class with the singing of a patriotic song,” he recalls. “It was ‘America the Beautiful’ or ‘The Star-Spangled Banner.’ Since I was a decent pianist at that point in my life, I got to play the piano in the classroom for each of those performances and I enjoyed that part of it.” He also remembers the day the town’s high school band director visited. “He gave us an opportunity to pick out an instrument we wanted to play…From that day on, I was pretty sure I wanted to do what the band director did.” And he did. His 35-year musical career, the last 28 years spent at Irvine High School, have been incredibly fulfilling for Messenger. “Besides the great kids, Irvine has been such a wonderful place to teach through the years I think because of the people I work for and work with.” He credits the staff, from the school site to the district office and the board of education, for supporting his mission to enrich students’ educational experience through music. “There has always been incredible support for the arts here. Like every other school, we’ve sometimes had to struggle to maintain what we think is important through budget shortfalls, but the commitment has always been there.” He has been the only vocal music director the school has ever had. As a result of his love for music and his dedication to the students, Irvine High School boasts five choirs for all levels of singers. The department was honored as a Grammy Signature Gold School, ranking it among the top 10 music programs in the nation. He has worked with the Pacific Chorale at the Orange County Performing Arts Center to create a choral festival for high school choirs. On a recent trip to Santa Barbara’s Old Mission Church with the school’s chamber choir, he directed his student’s performance. “For those 18 students performing in that beautiful chapel, with all those amazing acoustics, we got a glimpse of just a miraculous event. It was so beautiful the music that they made.” Experiences like these keep Messenger excited about his work, even after more than three decades at the podium. “There is always some piece of music that I’m anxious to work on each day.” - By Kimberly A. Porrazzo 06 Donald Easter Residence: San Juan Capistrano Family: Single; brother is a professor of chemistry in Texas and sister teaches in Iowa School: High school math and science teacher at Capistrano Valley Christian School Donald Easter was destined to become a teacher. Though at first he pursued medicine, thinking he would become a doctor, it was teaching that came naturally to him. “I’ve been doing different kinds of teaching all my life,” Easter says, explaining that his first experience was when he was young, teaching Bible school. Even before he had completed his education, he was tapped by a private school to take a teaching assignment when one of the staff left on maternity leave. That was enough to lead Easter into a career that has lasted close to 30 years. “One of the things I really like,” he says of his profession,” is the challenge of figuring out a way to teach so that people can really understand it. “It’s important to me that I don’t just hand out information but that I try to impart some knowledge or wisdom on how to remember that information and how to relate it to other things so the kids can understand it.” Apparently, he’s figured out how to do just that, and as a result has been nominated three times to “Who’s Who Among High School Teachers” and was voted Teacher of the Year three times during his tenure at Capistrano Valley Christian High School. It is, however, his commitment to his profession outside the classroom that makes him a favorite with both staff and students. According to school staff, Easter regularly supports students by attending their music recitals and sports events. He has been known to keep score, time keep for football and basketball, call lines for volleyball and has acted as tournament director for the school’s cross country meets. Earlier in his career, he coached flag football, soccer, basketball and boys’ softball. “Anything you can do to support the kids,” Easter says. “It’s real special when those kids come back and talk to you.” In fact, now the children of former students are in his classroom. “A couple of years ago, I had a kid as a senior whose parents I taught back in the ’70s.” That’s the kind of history and experience you get from someone who loves what they’re doing well enough to do it in the same school for almost 30 years. “I started here in 1976…now I’m the only one left.” - By Kimberly A. Porrazzo 07 Jane and Jim DeJovine Residence: Placentia Family: Daughter and son-in-law Maddi and John Gorham, and daughter Morgan DeJovine School: Dr. James DeJovine, chairman of the Science Department, and Dr. Jane DeJovine, World Religions teacher, at Cornelia Connelly High School in Anaheim There’s a quiet 100-acre Missouri farm just waiting for Drs. Jane and Jim DeJovine. The farm’s pond will be enlarged and stocked with fish. The couple also plan to buy some Shetland sheep for the pastures and set up a workshop for Jim to carve duck calls. But for now, their farm will only be the site of twice-yearly visits during Cornelia Connelly High School’s summer and winter vacations. The DeJovines have too much they want to do with their students to leave Southern California right now. After early retirement from Atlantic Richfield Co., Jim decided he’d try teaching before settling down to hunt and fish on the farm. He had watched all that Jane did as a teacher at Mater Dei and Mount San Antonio College. “I sort of envied (Jane), that’s why I tried it. I just think teaching is a great thing. To see a kid’s eyes light up when they understand something is great.” Jim saw that spark in many of Connelly’s students and was soon telling his wife about an open position for a world religions teacher. Now the two carpool together sometimes stopping for doughnuts and also eat lunch with one another. They are constantly talking. “We have typical on-the-way-to-work conversations,” Jim says. “We’re not solving world problems.” Actually, the DeJovines aren’t always having typical conversations. The couple regularly produce innovative lesson plans for connecting the sciences with humanities and social sciences, a passion that sets them apart. They work on complementary ideas in their quest to constantly strengthen Connelly’s interdisciplinary program. “Amazingly, it works out that way sometimes,” Jim says. “You think chemistry and religion aren’t going to mesh too well and every once in awhile there’s an overlap.” The overlaps have been plenty. For instance, the entire school read “Girl with a Pearl Earring” last year, a book about a girl who mixed pigments for the Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer. Jim’s chemistry students used plants found in the school’s garden, which he helps tend with the Garden Guardians club, to make pigments of their own. The DeJovines have also found a way to bring Jane’s passion for natural fibers and sheep into the classroom. About a year and a half ago, they bought three black Shetland ewes named Eenie, Meenie and Minie. (They were planning on purchasing Mo this summer, but the deal fell through). The “girls,” as they’re affectionately called, are a fairly rare breed in the United States and reside in the exotic animal area at Mt. San Antonio College. They’ve also visited Connelly as walking illustrations of textbook lessons. For instance, Jane introduced the ewes to her students during discussions about the Hebrew testament and ancient people’s reliance on animals. A biology class studying Mitochondrial Eve, a woman who lived 200,000 years ago in Africa and from whom some scientists believe all humans inherited mitochondrial genetic material, also had a chance to visit the sheep. And English classes studying William Blakes’ poem, “The Lamb” got some time with the “girls” as well. The DeJovines do more than show off the sheep at school. They shear them and send the fleece out to be processed into yarn or prepared for Jane to use on her spinning wheel. The soft, charcoal-grey wool makes great material for Jane’s knitting and Christmas gifts. Although Eenie, Meenie and Minie won’t be making the trip to Missouri when the DeJovines decide to relocate, the couple plans to buy more Shetland sheep for their 100-year-old farm. Jane will bring her spinning wheel and Jim will move from collecting duck calls to learning how to carve them from indigenous wood. That is, if their conversations ever turn to retirement and Missouri instead of the many ways they can inspire and excite their students. - By Jennifer Leuer 08 Helaine Yeskel Residence: Irvine Family: Husband John; sons Scott, 27, and Ross, 23 School: Art specialist at Tarbut V’Torah in Irvine Helaine Yeskel likens the prepping of her presentations to that of a caterer. All the dishes and accompaniments are prepared in the back. Then, when it’s time to serve, the carts begin rolling in and rolling out, one after another. In her world, though, art is the main course. “Everything has to be orchestrated,” she says of her high-energy position. “On any given day, it’s like art aerobics because we don’t have transition time here.” Yeskel is an art specialist at Tarbut V’Torah in Irvine. She works with the school’s 350-plus elementary students, meeting with each class once a week for 45 minutes. A row of more than 20 blue, plastic-coated smocks Velcroed at the tip of a tie hang in a row below a window. Nearby are recently completed art projects, ranging from leaf-shaped ceramic bowls to drawings of fruit. “My big push is that they see, that they don’t draw or paint what’s in their head. I really push their observational skills,” she says. “I think it makes them more conscious of what’s around them.” The art educator, who is also responsible for creating the scenery for the school’s productions, is always on the lookout for items to bring into the classroom. From shells and palm tree leaves gathered while walking on the beach to saving the unused ends of celery sticks for the students to paint with while making homemade chicken soup if something inspires her, she finds a way to get it and use it. This year marks Yeskel’s fifth year at the private, Jewish school. Prior to that, she served 17 years in early childhood education, 10 of which she taught kindergarten students through art alongside the lead teacher. Despite her experience and knowledge in the field, the Irvine resident, who holds a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from George Washington University, continues to keep up to date with trends and current research. A member of the National and California Association of Art Education, she receives journals and regularly attends conferences and workshops. Such enthusiasm, along with talent and dedication, has earned national and local recognition for Yeskel and her students. For the past four years, the educator has been on the Honor Role of Teachers at the Laguna Arts Festival, where many of her students were juried among thousands to participate in the prestigious art show. For Yeskel, though, it’s not about winning contests. It’s about building confidence and appreciation. “They need time in their day to just kind of unwind. Not that I’m an easy art teacher,” says Yeskel. “But I think it’s important for kids to just kind of look around and appreciate the beauty in the world.” - By Sandy Bennett 09 Janacque Ernsbarger Residence: Westminster Family: Single School: Teacher on special assignment and director of technology and curriculum at La Paz Intermediate School in Mission Viejo Ernsbarger. Ernsbarger, who realized she wanted to be a teacher during her early elementary years, rotates year to year from teaching science in the classroom to working as a teacher on special assignment. She also serves as director of technology and curriculum at the Mission Viejo campus. This school session, the 17-year instructor continues to improve the communication process as well as the delivery of the school’s instructional programs. Her efforts helped the school capture the attention of the U.S. Department of Education, which recognized Ernsbarger in November as one of the school’s representatives with a No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon of Education Excellence Award. One of the keys was bringing an online grade system to the campus three years ago. The program allows parents to use a password to gain access to their child’s progress and is the first to be set up in the Saddleback Unified School District as well as the first to have 100% participation among the teachers. Today, similar programs are being used throughout the state as well as in other parts of the nation. In addition to reducing the number of calls home and parent-teacher conferences, the system allows teachers to better identify problems areas, such as low test scores or incomplete homework. “In my experiences, I have found that parents do not like surprises,” she says. “Parents want to be informed and we want them to be informed. It’s part of our ‘no excuses’ philosophy.” Other traces of the school’s no excuses philosophy can be seen throughout the campus, both inside and outside the classrooms. Mounted signs and paintings on the building’s stucco walls list positive rules that center on respect, responsibility and readiness. A part of the school’s Effective Behavior Support program, this program is also led by Ernsbarger and has reduced referrals to the office for disciplinary measures by more than half within an 18-month period. Driven by teachers, problem areas were identified and ways to address them were established after tracking the referrals in a database for one year. The team, for example, identified certain times of the day that pushing and shoving were taking place. Teachers were then asked to step out of the classroom during those times to monitor students. The result: Some schools get up to 35-60 referrals a day, says Ernsbarger; at La Paz there are seven or eight. The online grade system and Effective Behavior Support program represent just a small sample of Ernsbarger’s lead role at the school. Among other duties, she mentors seven first- and second-year teachers. She also oversees a new program, Project Write-on, which allows students to type in essays with individual laptops, submit them online and receive a score based on a six-point rubric within about 30 seconds. And she continues her effort in improving the delivery of the school’s instructional programs by working with teachers to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of all learners. “The greatness in education comes from collaboration. I’m in this position because teachers at my school wanted me in this position,” says Ernsbarger, who is the only teacher in La Paz’s history to be voted Teacher of Year twice by her peers. “But yet I gain more from them than they probably gain from me because I get to see great things in every classroom. And that’s exciting.” -By Sandy Bennett 10 Brianna Harb Residence: Santa Ana Family: Sons Rami, 12, and Rayan, 7 School: Page Private School in Costa Mesa Some people in this world give far more than they receive. It’s an apt description for 34-year-old Brianna Harb, the beloved music and French teacher at Page Private School in Costa Mesa. When Harb divorced five years ago, her life suddenly kicked into high gear. She had two young sons to support and she needed a steady income. Hedging her bets, Harb who emigrated to Orange County 15 years ago from France and “became an American citizen by choice” sent resumes to eight private schools, offering her services as a piano and French teacher. To her astonishment, all eight schools hired her. “I would drop my boys off at school at 8 and pick them up at 5, even working through my lunch break,” Harb recalls of her hectic schedule. Oftentimes, this traveling teacher would be at three different schools on any given day. But it became a bit too much, and now Harb divides her time between “only” six schools, teaching piano, violin and French lessons to more than 400 students a week. “I love teaching, I love children. If there’s anything I can do to make a difference when it comes to a child’s life, I’ll go for it,” says Harb when asked why she is so driven. She also makes quite a difference at several local hospitals, including St. Jude’s, where volunteer Harb offers music therapy to children with cancer. “I’ll sing for them (from the other room) while they’re getting an MRI or CAT scan. These procedures scare them a lot. And my singing gives them a sense of relief.” Harb spends most of her time (about 24 hours a week) at Page Private School, where she has single-handedly developed the school’s first-ever language, music and art programs. French-born Harb has been playing piano since she was 5 years old and started learning English at 7. “I’m so glad I can share my talents with the children. I tell my French students, ‘Take it seriously because you never know where your future will take you.’” “Brianna has done so much for our school,” boasts Kristin Dickson, Page’s director of marketing. “She’s so gentle and kind. We all could learn something from her.” And her students love her. “What really gets my day going is when I walk into school and the children run up to me, excited about their lesson that day,” says Harb. What makes a good teacher, she is asked. Carefully prepared lesson plans and lots of patience. “Children have their days, just like us. I don’t yell or embarrass children. If a child isn’t grasping the concepts…I try to give her encouragement and support.” Harb’s giving spirit never rests, and neither does her piano. She also teaches piano at night from her home and on the weekends to blind students and children with severe attention deficit disorder. One day this teaching dynamo would like to devote all her time to helping children heal through music therapy. What would be an exhausting life for most others is, for this teacher, right on key. By Lynn Armitage |
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