Even teachers get nervous on the first day

By JEFFREY S. SOLOCHEK, Times Staff Writer
Published August 10, 2007

When Pasco County begins school this month, almost 400 of its teachers will be new to the system. Some are locals, others come from faraway places. Many have never taught before. Several are launching new careers.

On Thursday, the school district and the education foundation welcomed the group with brunch, a pep talk and door prizes. The real work begins next week. We caught up with a few of the newcomers to hear their stories.

Sonia Ramos, 29, grew up in Pasco County but moved away after graduating from the University of South Florida. She returns to teach at Gulf Trace Elementary in Holiday after five years of teaching in Anne Arundel County, Md.

Why are you coming here?

I'm coming back to Florida for, one, the warm weather, and my family. I love Pasco. I love being a Floridian.

Why do you love being a teacher?

Seeing the joy in the students when they actually grasp a concept. I love teaching because it's fun every day, it's not a desk job where you're sitting. Every day is a new thing.

How did you pick this school?

I picked Gulf Trace because of the challenges of opening a new school. I thought it would be fun to be part of the new beginning.

How does teaching in Pasco County differ, do you think, from teaching in Maryland?

For one, the continuous progress and the multi-age grouping. In Maryland it was a set classroom with grade specific. I like the philosophy of Pasco. That's why I'm back.

Are you nervous at all about the first day?

Yes. Of course. It's just the pressure of setting up the classroom, all the first-day jitters. I'm in my seventh year teaching, but of course you always feel nervous the first day. You always do.

- - -

Judy Fagan, 45, has lived in Pasco County all her life but decided to become a teacher only after overcoming breast cancer. She starts as a cosmetology teacher at Pasco High in Dade City.

Why do you want to be a teacher?

I want to be able to expand the knowledge of young ladies and men that maybe are not going to college but they need a vocation to rely on after they graduate from high school.

Did you ever think about being a teacher anywhere but Pasco County?

No, not at all. Actually, I had never thought about being a teacher until I had the opportunity to do long-term subbing for the adult education in cosmetology this past year. Then it opened a doorway for us to start our cosmetology program at Pasco High, which has not been in effect for about three to four years.

What do you do on the first day?

I will be able to introduce to my students the importance of being professionals in the community and also the importance of taking care of themselves and their families and being able to give back to the community something that they have learned.

- - -

Bill Rose, 56, recently retired from his job as a soil analyst for the state of Minnesota. He begins his teaching career this month at Chester W. Taylor Elementary School in Zephyrhills.

Why do you want to be a teacher?

It's a real rewarding career. I was able to retire from my job with the state of Minnesota. It was more just a job. You go out and do your work, hand in a report and you're completed. There's really no benefits. It was just a job. Teaching is a rewarding career, and I can give back to society and actually have some reward for myself.

What kinds of things do you see as rewards for yourself?

Watching the students progress and preparing them for life, and knowing that I was a part of that, that I helped them do it. Because I have been through life, and I know how hard it can be. If you don't have an education it's hard to survive in today's society.

Are you nervous at all about your first day in school?

Oh, yes. Certainly. But at Chester W. Taylor the principal and the mentors are making it easier for me. The staff is making us more relaxed. But getting in front of the kids is scary.

What are you going to do to calm your nerves?

Well, they gave me a light squeeze ball. (Laughs.) I think my hesitation was how do they teach down here. But they have it all mapped out for you. ... That's made it a lot more comfortable.

- - -

Lisa Sans, 41, has lived in Pasco County for nine years while working in the insurance industry. She decided to change careers and will teach eighth-grade science at John Long Middle School in Wesley Chapel.

Why do you want to be a teacher?

I realized that I've always kind of been a teacher, even in my other career. I was doing training department types of jobs.

Now you're going to be in a school with kids instead of adults. How does that change your outlook?

I think that learning styles don't change from childhood to adulthood. Everybody has their way to learn. You just have to speak the language of the learner.

What do you have to say to an eighth-grader? I hear middle school is the hardest age.

I don't think it's that hard. I think you just have to understand where they're coming from and understand their perspective and that they're really just all about fun. And then you just make the science fun.

What are you going to do on the first day?

First day we're going to do some ice-breakers, a couple games. We're going to make name cards so I can learn their names, because it's getting harder for me to learn names.

Anything to explode?

No. Not until second quarter.

[Last modified August 9, 2007, 22:19:08]