COMMENTARY
Teachers really 'touch the future'

By Litia C. Ho

"Hey, Mrs. Ho, we're in charge ...
"Mrs. Ho, we know what to do ...
"Mrs. Ho, we can do it!"

Student voices bounce off the classroom walls as they echo these words. It doesn't seem to reach beyond my aging ears, digging its way deeper and deeper into my instructional schema, and yet it should.

It should because a very important teaching strategy is blossoming, using the "Hands-Off" approach, allowing it to flourish beyond the seasons.

Teaching middle-school students is the most complex, challenging and exciting profession in the world. Each student is a unique individual with different strengths, weaknesses, interests and needs.

Christa McAuliffe, who was to be our first teacher in space, said: "I touch the future, I teach."

And it's true: We teachers do touch the future. By the very nature of our jobs, we shape our students and affect their future by the quality of teaching we provide.

Like other successful teachers, I set high expectations for my students, communicate those expectations home, and work out a game plan to carry them out in a manageable and timely fashion.

"Mrs. Higuchi, why aren't Malia, Kalani, Kuulei and Kawika in class this morning? I saw them walking along the office earlier. I'm really surprised and disappointed that they're tardy today," I remark.

Then I hear it loud and clear: "Good morning, Wai'anae Intermediate students, faculty, and staff ... our Project Citizen class is inviting you to come out to our Farrington Highway Rally," announces Malia, over the school's P.A. system.

Kalani, Kuulei and Kawika wait patiently alongside to support her. Together these students have the idea to ask an administrator for permission to use the P.A. system to encourage wider publicity for the rally.

I now feel guilty for assuming the four students are tardy.

"I'll prepare the ballots to vote after the dates are set. ... "

"I'll sketch the posters for next week's rally. ... "

"I'll call the district representatives. ... "

What a switch it is to hear students making their own decisions and volunteering to take the lead. Six well-organized, well-led committees spring up. Each committee member takes the initiative to fulfill one's responsibility, making a commitment to the project as it progresses from a simple plan to execution.

It is amazing how the same students who balked earlier this year at the step-by-step instruction on how to work collaboratively, on how to be an active listener, and on how to share leadership, are now the driving force in preparing and presenting the lesson, teaching me how to maximize student learning.

One such program, Project Citizen, a Civic Education component, provides various opportunities for students to engage in a deeper level of interdisciplinary skill-building.

This project has made steady gains among the struggling readers and writers, hooking their interest through their own creativity.

"Mrs. Ho, Christopher seems to be really interested in this project and he's finally working to his potential. ..."

"Larry rarely finishes his assignments on time, but he's been really motivated to complete the Project Citizen ones."

"Susan used to have an 'attitude,' but now she's really helping out with the posters."

"The police captain spoke very highly of our student turnout at the rally."

It is my goal to keep students actively involved in the learning process so that the learning is meaningful to them. I create opportunities for my students to be lifelong learners, to learn on their own, to learn how to gain meaning from experience, to make the right connections in their life.

When they are successful ... wow, that's my reward!

Litia C. Ho is Project Citizen coordinator at Wai'anae Intermediate School.