Publication Date: Wednesday, September 01, 2004
New teachers in the hall
New teachers in the hall
(September 01, 2004) District's new arrivals eager to start working
Alexandria Rocha
A framed photograph of her son, navigating stones across a river, sits on a file cabinet in Kindel Launer's English classroom at Palo Alto High School.
In the photo, her son is 7. He's now 15, the age of Launer's students. It's Launer's second week teaching, and she keeps the photo perched above the classroom as a reminder that each student is someone's child.
At Baron Park Elementary, Leonel Argumedo is waiting to teach his first class of 20 Palo Alto third-graders how electricity works. Though he's not new to teaching -- he came to the local district after 10 years with the Los Angeles Unified School District -- he still can't wait to see how kids here pick up his favorite subjects, which happen to be math and science.
"It's that age where they have so many questions. To see their reactions to stuff that they didn't know before that they learn -- I enjoy that a lot," Argumedo said.
There are about 50 new teachers in the Palo Alto Unified School District this year, and like Launer and Argumedo, they possess first-year teacher attitudes that every veteran tries to maintain.
If the others are like Launer and Argumedo -- who specifically came to the local district because of the high-achieving students, overwhelming amount of parent involvement and enriched curricula -- then the district is set for a successful year.
"I've been getting bombarded with so many parents who want to help and that's something I'm not used to," Argumedo said. "They're all willing to do whatever I ask them to."
The new teachers have yet to give out their first detention, catch students passing notes in the back of class or tell a rowdy child to sit out recess. In the second week, as Launer says, it's more about creating the classroom atmosphere. For Launer, that's focusing students on the subjects rather then the grades; for Argumedo, that's letting the children know he can be a role model.
Both teachers said they have a hefty amount of support from the district while they get their feet wet. Argumedo attended a few teacher training sessions over the summer, and Launer's teaching coach -- who was assigned through the district -- is available to her 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
"I'm not sure I have ever worked in an environment where students are the core mission more than they are here," Launer said.
Considering that teaching is a profession that is often brought home, the district's support has been invaluable, Launer added. But, the teachers have to make sure their personal agendas are supportive of demanding job as well. "You have to be in good shape, both mentally and physically," Launer said.
Launer, who is married with four children and a beagle, stays committed to the subject she teaches -- critical thinking and writing for sophomores -- by staying up to date with contemporary literature. She's currently reading about five books simultaneously outside the classroom.
Launer's 75 students, in three classes, are currently reading "He" by Katherine Anne Porter. The students will read other intense literature this semester, such as "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley and "Candide" by Voltaire.
The only setback to being a first-year teacher? Launer said she can't wait to "teach something for the second time."
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