THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 24, 1995 TAG: 9509220229
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 22 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HOLLY WESTER, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 99 lines
WHILE SHAKESPEARE, ancient Egyptian history and the Spanish language may sound like heavy subjects for elementary school kids, fourth-grade teacher Sandy Baker considers them integral ingredients of her students' education.
``I'm a strong proponent of cultural literacy,'' said Baker, who teaches at Luxford Elementary School. ``I want my students to be well-rounded individuals.''
Through artistic vehicles, such as literature, music and foreign language, Baker meets fourth-grade objectives - from memorization to understanding figurative language.
``I don't train them for fourth grade,'' she said. ``I train them for life.''
And Baker drills the lessons into their heads daily.
She starts out the morning with classic tunes, ``nothing less than 600 years old.'' A tape of Renaissance music has been the latest boom-box selection.
After the Pledge of Allegiance, Baker has her bunch trained to shout ``Carpe diem!'' - Latin for ``Seize the day.'' The students check the chalkboard for the date, which always is written in Spanish. Daily trivia questions are another routine part of life in Room 10.
``Romeo and Juliet'' now is the main dish on the plate, but other works by Shakespeare, such as ``Hamlet'' and ``Othello,'' are slated for the future.
``The kids love the tragedies,'' Baker said. ``It's life. Shakespeare is so universal. The themes never die.''
Besides reading the stories to the students, Baker acts from her storytelling seat - using her hands and voice to illustrate the plot. ``You have to be an actor when you teach these children,'' she said. ``You have to make it interesting.''
Baker's students will explore ancient Egypt later in the year with a novel study of ``Mara, Daughter of the Nile.'' Through various activities and projects, which include column-building and sarcophagus-constructing, students will tackle everything from history to hieroglyphics to architecture.
These off-beat topics come straight from Baker's rich background. As a third-grader, she was required to learn Spanish in Puerto Rico, where her father was stationed in the Coast Guard.
When Baker was 10, her mom took her to see ``Cleopatra,'' which spawned an interest in Egyptian culture - a topic she has studied for three decades. She got to know ``Bill'' - her nickname for Shakespeare - after seeing Franco Zeffirelli's ``Romeo and Juliet'' and has been hooked ever since.
For years she researched on her own, never taking a class to correspond with her interests. After working 15 years as a secretary in the court system, Baker took her first steps toward a degree by enrolling in Old Dominion University's education program.
She crammed 130 credit hours into three years and a couple of summers, and graduated with a bachelor of science degree in 1989. ``And now I'm doing what I have always wanted to do,'' she said, smiling.
``My only regret is not doing this sooner,'' she said, pausing. ``But then maybe I wouldn't be as good at it.''
Picking fourth grade was an easy choice for Baker. ``I love this grade,'' she said. ``They still love you and look at you as an authority figure, but they are becoming independent. Their minds soak up everything.''
This year's 22 students have mixed feelings about Baker's style, which works to satisfy their curiosity, while encouraging their autonomy.
``She's strict,'' said Ashley Owens, 9. ``Just this morning she said . . . `When you walk out of here, you're going to have an education.' ''
Baker doesn't deny the accusation. ``I'm a strict teacher,'' she said. ``I make no bones about it. I like discipline and I like structure.''
Manners are emphasized, since Baker considers them a ``lifetime asset.'' She calls her students sir and ma'am, and expects the same courtesy in return.
And so there aren't any surprises, Baker sends home a six-page letter to parents, detailing her expectations for the year. ``All I want for their children is the best,'' she said. ``How can they argue with that?
``Good is the enemy of best. I want the best they can do. That's all I ask for.''
Many students are intrigued by the challenge Baker presents. ``I think she's the perfect teacher,'' 9-year-old Ryan Brown said. ``She teaches about stuff that's really neat.''
Ryan has been so impressed, he used Shakespeare's ``To be or not to be'' quote during his campaign speech when he ran for Student Council Association reporter.
Baker's secret to success is really no secret at all. She just lives by Will Rogers' words, which are posted behind her desk: ``If you want to be successful, know what you are doing, love what you are doing and believe in what you are doing.''
She added, ``The bottom line is enthusiasm. I love what I'm doing and they see it.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photos by HOLLY WESTER
When Baker's students studied ancient Egypt, each constructed a
sarcophagus.
Fourth-graders at Luxford Elementary School gather around their
teacher, Sandy Baker, as she reads ``Romeo and Juliet.''
by CNB