A+ teachers close out their grade books

By Sharon Noguchi
snoguchi@mercurynews.com
Posted: 06/08/2010 06:00:00 PM PDT
Updated: 06/08/2010 06:57:38 PM PDT

Even as she packed her files and the accolades poured in via e-mail, visits and celebrations, English teacher Roma Hammel was rethinking her latest lesson.

Retiring after four decades of teaching, Hammel, 64, continued to hone her craft. "One of the joys has been the ability to keep learning," the Los Altos High School teacher said. "It's as if teaching is woven into the fabric of my being."

Among the thousands of teachers retiring this month in California, an elite group stand out for mastery of a profession that's more a calling than a job. They're called inspirational, influential, invaluable — teachers who even after decades in the public school trenches remain passionate about teaching and who have made a lasting, positive difference in students' lives.

Colleagues and parents laud teachers like Hammel, science teacher Mel Ausman at Piedmont Middle School and band teacher Ken Roberts at Pioneer High as teachers who are being replaced but are considered irreplaceable.

Hammel led a grade-by-grade redesign of how the school teaches writing and built a program propelling low-income students into college. The district's version of that program, known as AVID, has become a statewide model.

"She's a moral compass for our department," said English chairman Keren Robertson. Observing Hammel's work with once-struggling students, Principal Wynne Satterwhite said, "The changes I saw in those kids was unbelievable."

Their success is a testament to her work. "Roma believed in my ability to transform into a successful student. And she made a believer out of me, too," said Jade Alvarez, 26, who became the first in her family to graduate from college, and who is now working on a master's in social work.

Hammel began as a home and hospital teacher for the Mountain View-Los Altos High School District in the 1970s, taught dyslexic students, English classes and also served as assistant principal and department chair.

In 1987, one-third of Los Altos students were in remedial English. Today, all but a handful are in college-prep English. And at a diverse school where 18 percent are from poor families, more than 90 percent of college-track ninth-graders score at least proficient on state tests.

Across the valley, Ausman last week was contemplating the end of a 34-year teaching career — but was still exploring new ways of teaching science at Piedmont Middle School in San Jose.

"They broke the mold with him," said Berryessa Union School District Superintendent Marc Liebman. "He's always willing to look at different ways of getting to kids and hooking them in."

Ausman put his six-week astronomy unit online, compiling curriculum from NASA and elsewhere. Students created a glossary, graded classmates' work, then made a game out of their words. They have programmed robots, designed 3-D objects online and made science movies.

"I love doing new things," said Ausman, 62. "I'm really into alternative ways of teaching things. In education, there's a narrow focus on books and papers. We have got all types of intelligences and we don't always hit on them."

His student Sanika Moharana, who counts science as her favorite subject, said about Ausman, "He's like open to many things."

Ausman also advised the school newspaper, one of the few middle-school journalism programs. And he was the go-to expert for teachers stumped by technology. In fact, he helped introduce technology into the Berryessa district, former Piedmont Principal Linda Locke said. And Ausman continually wrote grants to fund his programs.

He relishes teaching energetic middle schoolers, the age that many adults dread as students ride the roller coaster of puberty. "It's a big transformation for them. You can help them through it," he said.

While one of his former students will take over as the schools' technology guru, the Piedmont Times has published its last issue, as the school cut it out of next year's budget.

Openness to new ideas also set band teacher Ken Roberts apart. He built up the music programs first at Castillero Middle School and then at Pioneer High in San Jose. Band became so popular, "it was cool to be a band geek," said Beth Linvill, whose three sons went through the high school program that now involves 250 students in five bands.

"He's gotten kids excited about music, by doing the music that they enjoy doing," said Assistant Superintendent Bill Erlendson of the San Jose Unified School District.

"Instead of '50s swing pieces over and over, we could play Stevie Wonder or Maynard Ferguson," Bret Linville, a rising senior, said of Roberts' approach. And instead of a teacher trying to control kids, "we were definitely formed on mutual respect."

Roberts, 61, said band helps improve test scores. "In music you learn to take small pieces and put them together into one large thing, so they are able to see a bigger picture instead of just themselves," Roberts said.

On May 25, "Ken Roberts Appreciation Day," many Pioneer students wore ties — part of Roberts' trademark attire — to school.

A former student, Chris McCoy, will lead the Pioneer band program, but it's uncertain who will take over Roberts' other duty, maintaining the school's 600 computers.

Like others looking at retirement, Roberts hopes to indulge his own interests, including traveling and playing the French horn. Ausman might work on science curriculum and Hammel will teach meditation. They'll miss the students and the profession.

About his career, Ausman said, "Everything worked out great."