Image provided by: West Linn High School; West Linn, OR
About The amplifier. (West Linn, Oregon) 1921-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 1, 2006)
2006 Features 9 Hobart finds passion as science student teacher u H illary KRiPPAEHNE_______ Staff Reporter During the second week of school, student teacher Gabe Hobart was a little embarrassed when he couldn't find the pencil sharpener in the classroom but that doesn't overshadow his excitement about teaching his newfound passion, physics. He is student teaching with science teacher Julie McDevitt while attending classes at George Fox University. Cooperating teacher: Julie McDevitt College attending: George Fox University Interests: Skiing, reading, playing frisbee golf and working on the house Family: Wife Lisa, 2-year- old Zander, two dogs Teaching Physics: "I find it interesting and fun to talk about and teach. It's valuable that people understand. It's an important subject and fun!" On why he began to teach: "I decided to start teaching because my previous career as an engineer was not fulfilling. I found it wasn't important to me. Teaching is important and deserves my full attention and effort." College: "I am currently attending George Fox University and am working on my Masters of Arts in Teaching. I got my Bachelors Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Oregon State University. Go Betzelberger sports unique name m R ussell H ill ____________ Staff Reporter Student teacher Adam Betzelberger, a native of Beaverton, Ore. hopes his future as a teacher will help out students in a fun, easy way, yet still have educational value. As a big fan of sports, Betzelberger enjoys a nice game of basketball anytime he can fit it in. After a long day at work he likes to watch a movie, such as "Gladiator," and eat pizza. College: Oregon State University Subject: Ancient and American History Cooperating Teacher: Tonya Dailey Reason for teaching: " I want to teach because I have a love for history, but also because I think high school students have a hard enough time as it is just growing up, and as a teacher I hope to make that process a little more bearable." As far as he knows he is the first Betzelberger in the educational field. "I just enjoy ancient and American history. I'm a big history dork." Goals he would like to achieve as a teacher: "I would love to help make supposedly difficult subjects more accessible for students. In short this means making the subject more relevant to high school students' lives. The world has changed a great deal over the past 50 years, and change is happening now faster than ever. Helping students connect with the world around them is my main goal." Free time: He enjoys nothing better then a Round Table pizza with pepperoni and sausage. He also loves to watch "Family Guy," and if you catch him on the right day he is able to pull off some of the voices. Right now, the only place he would teach is West Linn. When he gets a chance, he likes to go for a swim or play board games. He also has a passion for basketball. "I love basketball. I've played since I was 4- years-old. I played at Sunset High and after I graduated I played on a pretty much daily basis in college at the gym." Before his teaching career. "I graduated with a degree in Liberal Studies [from Oregon State University] with an emphasis on history and economics. I took AdamBetzelberger, social studies student teacher, admits to being a big "history dork." He likes to be called Mr. B and feels that his unique name gives him an advantage. Photo by Sachie Hopkins multiple classes on ancient history, political science and international trade. I greatly enjoyed my time there, as I played basketball and Halo 2 quite often." His advantage: Mr. B., as he likes to be called to make it easier on the students, feels he as an advantage over other teachers because of his last name. "My last name without a doubt is what makes me different from other teachers. I know there will never be two Mr. Betzelberger's where I work." Beavers!" The challenges of teaching: "It's hard to remember 150 student's names right away. I have an uncertain status in the classroom. I am not sure if I can say, 'Yes, you may use the restroom.' I am afraid to make mistakes. Through feedback, I am overcoming the challenges." Favorite part about teaching: "I love it when students finally understand a concept. The, 'ah ha,' moments make teaching very enjoyable." Between high school and the present: "I went to Oregon State University and received my Bachelors Degree in Mechanical Engineering. Then, I worked as an engineer. I got laid off the job, but found another. After quitting that job, I was a stay at home dad for a year." During summer vacation: "I took classes. My favorite part of the summer was when I went to Lincoln City with my dogs and family." Interests outside of classroom: "While I am not teaching, I enjoy skiing, reading and working on the house. I also enjoy playing Frisbee golf. There was a park nearby my house in Corvallis and it had a Frisbee golf course. My friend suggested we go play and I found that I like playing. It is nice that it is cheaper than regular golf. My favorite kind of music is 90's rock, but I listen to a little bit of everything. My favorite bands are Metallica, Tenacious D and Jack Black. Home Depot is my favorite place to shop because they have fun toys. I like to build stuff, so Home Depot has useful supplies." About his family life: "I have a 2-year-old, a wife, and two puppies from the pound. The dogs' names are Foster and Anakin." On what makes him different from other teachers: "I didn't always know I wanted to be a teacher. I tried a bunch of different activities before finding my new passion, teaching." On what he was like in high school: "I was a track star. I did shot put, discus, javelin and the 1600 relay. I was also a homecoming prince. I became a prince by election. I was also the shy chubby kid from the country." Feelings about teaching: "So far it's been great. I've really enjoyed working with Mrs. McDevitt and the students. I love being part of the high school world!" Self-professed nerd learning IliteBIOIg pins Stiff________■ continued from page 8 Her family life: "I have a really small family. It's basically just my parents and me. But I do have five cats and one toy poodle." She wants to be remembered: "I want students to say 'Oh ya! Do you remember that one year when we had that really cool student teacher Miss Blakemore?' I want to make an impact on my students' lives." One thing she want students to know about her: "I'm really dedicated to my work." How she's holding up: "I don't feel like I can judge myself against other teachers right now because I know I don't hold a candle to them. I am still learning. But I am a self-professed nerd and I make no bones about it." Whitten brings life experience, knowledge to classroom u S ydney M ac N aughton _____ Staff Reporter As a psychology major and book lover, Carol Whitten, English and journalism student teacher, brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to her students. Having spent years owning her own business, tutoring, and teaching, she has explored other parts of the world, gaining necessary experience in life. Cooperating teachers: Mario Schwarz, Ann Breyne College: Lewis & Clark College Interests: gardening, writing, listening to music and reading Wants to become a teacher because: "I think I've always been a teacher; I'm just making it formal. I think teaching is a higher calling. I love watching people grow. I also like participating in conversations Carol Whitten, a student teacher from Lewis & Clark, is teaching both English and journalism. Photo by Cole Fiala with high school students. We all work to shape our world, and everyone's voice is important. I decided to go become a teacher three years ago, but I've been thinking about it since tutoring my husband's son before that." Chose to teach this subject because: "I believe we all have a story to tell, and understanding happens at the intersection of stories. Communication is an enormous part of life. To do well in life, we need to communicate well. I always love a good story." Interesting classroom story: "I taught journalism for a year and a half in a classroom the size of a closet. We had no computers for the first three months. All of my students were constantly shifting, and all of them had English as their second language. My class period was just 30 minutes, and we somehow managed to put out two newspapers." Different from other teachers: "Every teacher is unique and has something to offer. Each will touch some students more then others." She also drives an ancient chocolate Volvo covered in about 400 bumper stickers and she moved here from Texas. Before teaching: "I was a garden designer for 10 years. I enjoyed the artistic side of it; it was like painting with plants. I was a psychology student at Baylor University in Texas and a philosophy student in Minnesota." Advice to students interested in teaching: "Go for it! Figure out what you feel passionately about and teach that. Before diving into teaching, take a break and explore some other pockets of the world and gain experience." Family life: "I am married, and my husband, a musician, has three sons that are over 18. He is older than me, and we are thinking of having a baby. We live together in Southeast Portland in an old house. It's older than my car!" She has two dogs: a border collie named Shiva and a samoyed named Sitka. They are both about seven. Hobbies: "I spend my time gardening, writing, and reading. I read about five books at a time. My favorite genres are mysteries, nonfiction, social criticism and short fiction. I like folk rock, jazz and classical music.
