World Teachers’ Day celebrates schooling effort Deana Lancaster News Reporter deana@nsnews.com MICHELLE Metealte- MacFarlan is reluctant to step into the spotlight. “aVest Vanover hits aa incre Bho dedicated and Gardwerking group of teachers. Pim jast ane of mma” said: the popular West Vancouver secondary teacher when Asked for an nters ies But ota help celebrate World Peachers Day Metcalfe Mactarlain agreed to tith about her passin tor the profession. She has been teaching languages inthe West Vancouver school dis Inet since 1983, starting at Sentinel secondary school before moving to West) Vancouver secondary school, where she now teaches Spanish full: time. “Pf love my job. Pim excited by it and energized by it every day,” she said. Jalike other professions, where the end product might be inanimate, teaching is “real. [t's hearts and minds that you've got. You're not just moulding plastic and cookie cutters,” she said. Metcalfe-Macfarlan takes ber role as an cducator seriously, burt tries to make learning fun for her students. “Wharf want to provide for them is what} coulda’e find as a student myself — a sense of relevance. How do vou make it meaningtul for cach and every student” Teacher revels in elementary issues Layne Christensen News Reporter LINDA Riddell loves teaching. layne@nsnews.com “This is where TP want to be and this is how PE enjoy my day,” said the Grade 4 teacher at Plymouth elementary in North Van's Windsor Park neighbourhood. Iris Riddell’s third year at the school, her 20th in the teaching profession. What makes teaching special to Riddell, 50, who compares her classtoom experience to being on stage for five hours? “The variety. The children. I like watching the fights going on,” she said. Riddell worked as a legal secretary before entering the teaching profes- sion. Her first assignment was working with deaf and hearing impaired youth at an Edmonton school. She worked as a substitute teacher on the Sunshine Coast and through- out the Lower Mainland before coming to the North Vancouver school dis- trict cight years ago as an adult educator with North Shore Continuing Education. Her past experience working with adults has helped her in her role as a Grade 4 teacher, she said. “You sce where some of the learning is leading,” said Riddell. Grade 4 is a pivotal year in children’s education. Learning, is more inde- endent. There ts homework. Students learn personal responsibility. Riddell asks her students to take responsibility for their materials and organize their time. They need help with this, she said. “It doesn’t just drop into their knowi- edge.” A weekly roster of students’ duties includes caring for the class pets: Chilean fire spiders Website and Spiderwoman, Mamma the rat and Lizz! a yellow leopard gecko. “The students like the pets. ‘Phey also like “Ms, R.” “She’s funny. She‘s nice. She teaches us new things pretty well every day,” student Tyler Mackay said in class earlier this week. “Like computers,” said Alex Moore, “And sign language,” added Melissa Newcomb, And tarantulas. Riddell has had spiders in school since her first teaching class 20 years avo. Fhey help people get over phobias, she says. Not just children, but par- ents Loo. “Children are the ones must often to accept the bugs and the crawly things,” she explained. “Because of the children's iiterest, parents start to share some curiosity.” . The pets also help make learning fun, which might have made Riddell’s own school experience a more enjoyable one, “J flunked our. When T graduated, you passed or failed your whole Grade 12 based on the results of vour departmentals.” Rideell failed four out of five final exams. She entered university as an adult student. _ . She keeps her acgative learning experience in mind when attempting to make her lessons accessible to all students in the classroom, she says, ©There are no lousy students. Only lousy teaching.” She gives classroom assignments that encourage language skills the students might use one day: “They could be travelling in Mexico or shopping in Spain.” And for the past two years Metcalie-MacFarlan has orga- nized an rxchange to Monterrey, Mexico. Vhis vear she will again travel with 15 students te the industrial town north of Mexico City, where the students can immerse themselves in the language and culture. NEWS photo Brad Ledwidge WEST Vancouver secondary school teacher Michelle Metcalfe-MacFarlane is excited and ener-tcaching language, music, mathematics gized hy teaching her students. Sunday. Gctober 4, 1998 - North Shore News - 3 lass act ASE Gnas e Weowt teastye whigdt site sand ts Dest oapressecd ai tren: Loansersins MMaesachuretts Oat der former stindent,s was waked TO percnate for sper toca Copano teacher who'd contiburcd te her development named Morale batts sh Motor, Hh UTE Pine studen: Mac baihint SOM vou peapie thaurish at the hands ot teachers who help then role ther potenual, understand them capabilities, build cher seit Esteem CHeOHrage there curtesay and prepare theni ter tte dong deart: The” wrote the dean ot the uniersi Woowb os eur bape that we ea encourtge bright and commuted students to consider teaching so that they can make a difference tor others as vou have done.” TCS whan Metealte Atagbarlin, and the other teachers i West Vancouver, sirite to do every: das. And, she added) it isnt always casy. “Teachers have had to deal with a fot at change, We even have a new type of learner, with electronic aredia, video, the Internet; there's a demand now for instant know ledge. “But all af us -— whether we're or history -- we trv te teach them how to look at titags ertically and to make judgments. “They learn these skills in the classroom and that’s the miss: ing piece trom learning electronically.” She also rated the community of West Vancouver as a factor in its students” sticcesses, “Ts a well-cducated community that really values learning,” she said. “That's important. [t makes the experience a much more positive one.” NEWS photo Mike Wakefield PLYMOUTH elementary teacher Linda Riddell and her Grade 4 class examine a tarantula spider more closely as part of the science learning component. Learning to Judy Smith . Contributing Writer FARIMA Roberts wants everyone to valuc teachers as much as she does. Roberts, part of the North Shore's Bahai communi- ty, is saluting teachers in| North Vancouver School District 44 by helping organize her fourth annual ‘Teachers’ Appreciation Day. “Our society underestimates all the services they are receiving,” said Roberts. “All we are trying to do is extend our appreciation of teachers and value their sta- tion in society.” Education is crucial in the Baha’i faith. Its web site lists the century-old faith as the second most widespread of the world’s Independent religions, established in 235 counnies and territories. Hts five million members come from more than 2,100 ethnic, racial and tribal groups. a value etucators The founder of the faith, Baha‘u'llah, believed there is one God who progressively reveals his will to human- ity. Bahai members are trying to break down barriers of prejudice berween people and to collaborate with other like-minded groups to promote a society in’ which humanity is viewed as a single people with a common destiny. Set to coincide with UNESCO’s World ‘Teachers’ Day on Oct. 5, Reberts invites educators from all schools in the district to ‘Teachers’ Appreciation Davy. Appreciation day events begin at 4 p.m. on Monday at the Leo Marshall Curriculum Centre and will feature a panel with Linda Watsen, vice-president of the B.C. ‘Teachers Federation; Barb Scobi, a member of the par- ent advisory council; and Dr. Elaine McCreary, head of the Community Service Institute of | Maxwell International Baha‘i School. Refreshments will be served.