Good Teaching Conference participants celebrate the joy of teaching and learning

By Sherry Posnick-Goodwin

The television reporter appeared to be broadcasting from a tropical paradise, judging by the palm trees swaying and the waves lapping on the shore behind him on the monitor. As he discussed the coqui frog from Puerto Rico, the "tiny frog with the huge shriek that has invaded the big island and won't shut up," shrieking punctuated his sentences.

But the reporter wasn't really a journalist — it was Rafael Padron, a seventh-grade science teacher at John M. Horner Junior High in Fremont. And he wasn't really on an island — he was broadcasting from a workshop titled "EARTHWATCH News Report" at CTA's Good Teaching Conference.

The Fremont Unified District Teachers Association member and other teachers from throughout the state were learning how their students can create the illusion of reporting "live on location" by using a simple "green screen" special-effects system.

The brainchild of Oakdale Teachers Association member Fred Yerzy, the workshop was designed to help teachers enrich science, social studies and language arts curriculum and meet state standards.

"This is great," said Padron. "Kids learn better from interactive experiences."

Now in its 54th year, the CTA Good Teaching Conference presents participants with opportunities to celebrate the joy of teaching and learning — and reminds them of the reason they entered the teaching profession in the first place. It has proved so popular that it's offered twice a year, once in the northern part of the state and once in the southern part, each drawing more than 700 participants this year. In addition to offering workshops for every grade level and many curriculum content areas, it provides teachers an opportunity to network with colleagues from around the state.

New this year was a session titled "Lifeskills: How to Fire Up 'Hardened' Kids," taught by Arnold Kunst, an academic teacher at the California State Prison facility in Solano.

"Your job is to be a warm, inviting fire in a cold, dark room," he told CTA members, many of whom teach challenging students. "None of us knows the unique darkness of the children we teach. You can't judge them if you haven't been there. Your kids, like mine, live in a world of turbulence 24-7, and don't know the meaning of tranquility."

"If I had no other lesson plan to give you, this would be it," said Kunst. In a lesson on "Assertions: Spend Time with the Person You Want to Be," he told teachers to take everything off their desks. "Sit up straight with your feet directly below your knees. Put your hands on the desk, tuck your chin in slightly. You're so relaxed in your seats that you'd fall to the center of the Earth if it weren't for your chair. Now, close your eyes and follow my lead by repeating:

With their eyes closed, the teachers echoed the positive affirmations as if participating in a séance.

Afterward, Emery Teachers Association member Carol Key admitted that she was skeptical at first, but could see the benefits for her students.

"It's a good mindset to begin the day with," said Nancy Jensen from Stanislaus County. "It's a good way to calm students down."

Meanwhile, down the hall, CTA-Retired member Diana Prola, a former Alameda County teacher, was encouraging government and history teachers to get their students fired up about politics.

In a workshop titled "Make it Real: How to Get Students Excited About and Involved in the American Political System," she said getting students to work in the polls on Election Day not only gives them a chance to see democracy in action, but presents a unique way of having students perform community service.

Whenever one of her students turns 18, she leads her class in singing "Happy Birthday," then hands the student a voter registration form and announces that America has a brand-new voter.

With all the turmoil in the world, students are taking more of an interest in politics these days, she said, noting, "Unfortunately, war is God's way of teaching Americans about geography."

In other workshops, teachers participated in interactive discussions about high school reform and the achievement gap; tried their hands at constructing small aircraft as a way to teach physics and using music to teach science standards; and learned tips for maintaining peace on the playground, increasing students' self-esteem and managing stress. With all of the choices, some teachers had a difficult time deciding which workshops to attend.

"This is professional development at its best — educators sharing their secrets with other educators," said CTA President Barbara E. Kerr. "Our students will benefit in profound ways from the learning that teachers do this weekend."