Hawaii Charter Schools Archives

Hello my name is Patrice Pickett. I am an educator, and have been for 17 years. I am fortunate to have been blessed with many awesome teachers throughout my life. I believe that everyone that comes in your life is there for a blessing or a lesson. There are some that are both!

The blessing and lesson in my life came when I attended public school for the first time. I had been in catholic school from preschool through 2nd grade. I loved my school because I had the same classmates for four years and I knew all the teachers. It was like a bubble of protection. Abruptly the school closed a few weeks before 3rd grade was to begin. My parents reluctantly sent me to my assigned public school, Clear Creek Elementary. I was a ball of nervous, anxious energy. In my mind public school was the end of the world. I did not know what to expect. What if I didn’t make friends? What if I didn’t wear the right clothes or shoes? What if I didn’t like my teacher? Or even worse, what if my teacher didn’t like me? My 8 year old brain was full of questions and outrageous concerns.

However, from the 1st day of school to the last day of school I was proven wrong. Ms Plummer welcomed me with open arms and an even bigger open heart. We had a combination class of 2nd and 3rd grade students. We also had a wonderful teacher assistant named Ms. Smith. They worked together like a well oiled machine. They taught us not only the academics, but also how to be a family. We learned about honesty, integrity, compassion, and empathy.

This is the year I began my lifelong love of books from Ms. Plummer. She made every book come to life. We read chapter book after chapter book. We would all hang on to every word. I loved Ms Plummer and we all knew she loved us dearly. Kids don’t always remember what you said or did, but they remember how you made them feel!

We all did our best in that class, not just to please her, but for ourselves. I admired the way she encouraged us and gave us self-motivation and drive. She had a story or anecdote for every situation. Every child had a voice in her class. Never before had I felt so empowered and heard(even in my comfortable bubble at my former school).

That year I knew in my heart and soul that I wanted to be a phenomenal teacher just like Ms. Plummer. I left Clear Creek after 3rd Grade and never visited again. Then one day in my Junior year of college, I was assigned to do a field study at a local elementary school. Yes I was elated to be assigned to Clear Creek. Upon entering the school smelled exactly as I remembered…like chocolate milk! In my mind, I did the math, it had been 13 years since I left Clear Creek. I thought it will be nice to visit, but there’s no way Ms Plummer or Ms. Smith will still be working there. I went to the office to sign and find out which teacher I’d be assigned. I had my head down when I heard, “Patrice Agurs is that you”…it was Ms Smith! She was the secretary in the front office! I couldn’t believe she still worked there! We had a great reunion! She said what until Ms. Plummer sees you! I was speechless, I couldn’t believe they were both still working at Clear Creek! As soon as Ms Smith took me to Ms Plummer’s class she recognized me and the reunion started all over again! I was of course able to be assigned to her class for the rest of the semester.

For the next eight weeks, she took me under her wings and taught me all her tricks of the trade. She taught me how to motivate, guide, instruct and discipline with love. I learned so much in those 8 weeks.

Today, I am an amazing teacher just like Ms Plummer! I hope to inspire my students at least an inkling of the way Ms. Plummer inspired me!!

For years, I worried about my grandson Dion’s challenges with learning. He did not respond to reading phonics lessons, he had problems deciphering compound sounds, and he struggled to read and write. By seventh grade, I was so concerned about his delays that I put him in a new school: West Hawaii Explorations Academy, a STEM Charter School in Hawaii.

A teacher there, Erik Swenson, assessed Dion’s learning style and brought him to an exciting educational platform. Instead of holding Dion captive in a classroom, where my grandson had always felt unsure of himself, Mr. Swenson took Dion outside to study live marine animals on campus. Mr. Swenson taught my grandson how to make scientific observations after allowing him to visit and feed the animals.

When Mr. Swenson worked one-on-one with my grandson, he let him read about marine animals, particularly sharks, an exciting book subject my grandson willingly read out loud.

Dion not only became a better reader, but he learned to include scientific observations in his writing. Mr. Swenson gave Dion encouraging feedback rather than focusing on his mistakes whenever my grandson wrote a paper.

Mr. Swenson allowed Dion to experience regular outdoor movement while learning, and he integrated marine science projects into Dion’s classroom assignments. My grandson’s confidence was steadily growing as he read and wrote in ways he had never done before.

Dion joined in with his classroom projects with more enthusiasm, and he began to perceive himself as a capable learner. By the end of the school year, Dion had completed several reports, including marine life anatomical reports with drawings, history reports, science projects, and he won first place in Mr. Swenson’s creative writing contest.

Mr. Swenson changed the trajectory of my grandson’s learning. While Dion may have challenges in his future, he now knows how to rise above them and excel as a unique and capable learner. This is a lifelong lesson that only a gifted teacher can impart.

About Mr. Swenson

Mr. Swenson holds a master’s degree in special education from Chaminade University. He has been teaching for thirteen years. His interests are surfing, diving, fishing, and hiking. Mr. Swenson leads a surf team from West Hawaii Explorations Academy.