Laurice Guerin has been teaching middle school English and History at Oakland School for the Arts for fourteen years. Now, she finally gets a teacher profile on The Telegraph and we’ll learn more about her love for teaching.
- Calliope Dean, 7th Grade
Laurice Guerin has been teaching middle school English and History at Oakland School for the Arts for fourteen years. Now, she finally gets a teacher profile on The Telegraph and we’ll learn more about her love for teaching.
Guerin has always had a love for learning, Her mother was a teacher before she had kids and would turn everything into a fun learning project for Guerin and her siblings. “I remember one of my brothers got really interested in sharks. And for months one summer we studied sharks, and could identify any shark by its fin,” Guerin recalls.
Guerin has always had a love for learning, Her mother was a teacher before she had kids and would turn everything into a fun learning project for Guerin and her siblings. “I remember one of my brothers got really interested in sharks. And for months one summer we studied sharks, and could identify any shark by its fin,” Guerin recalls.
Some of her favorite subjects to teach in history are archaeology and geography. “Teaching about Geography I feel is so crucial,” Guerin says, “because America’s so isolated in the Northern Hemisphere.” Although English has been her favorite subject ever since she was in school.
Guerin studied at UC Berkeley and took English classes at first. “ I didn’t like how regimented they were about telling you how to think, like they knew all the answers,” she remembers. She ended up majoring in anthropology afterwards because“the anthropology department at the time I was there was considered the best in the country. After taking a couple classes I just fell in love with it.” She loved how they were always making new discoveries and immediately knew she had to major in it.
Guerin didn’t start teaching until her early forties. “I also got a masters degree in reading leadership because I was particularly interested in how people learn to read and why it’s so hard,” she says.
Guerin studied at UC Berkeley and took English classes at first. “ I didn’t like how regimented they were about telling you how to think, like they knew all the answers,” she remembers. She ended up majoring in anthropology afterwards because“the anthropology department at the time I was there was considered the best in the country. After taking a couple classes I just fell in love with it.” She loved how they were always making new discoveries and immediately knew she had to major in it.
Guerin didn’t start teaching until her early forties. “I also got a masters degree in reading leadership because I was particularly interested in how people learn to read and why it’s so hard,” she says.
Part of what she loves about teaching is seeing students learn and grow. After 14 years, she hasn’t considered quitting and is still going on strong., “Covid has definitely been a challenge,” she admits, “but it’s made me see how undervalued the education system in America is. For me to quit that’s not going to solve any problems, it's more that we all need to fight for better support.” Guerin feels like she has a responsibility to stay, to continue to help kids learn because “It shows that people don’t have hope for the future when they undervalue education.”
Guerin advises people who want to become a teacher to know why they’re teaching. “There are so many challenges in teaching, from it being an undervalued profession, underfunded, to not all kids wanting to be there and having their own issues in life,” she says that you have to keep your goals in mind and always stay calm. Then you'll realize all the joy it brings and all the good you’re doing.
Guerin advises people who want to become a teacher to know why they’re teaching. “There are so many challenges in teaching, from it being an undervalued profession, underfunded, to not all kids wanting to be there and having their own issues in life,” she says that you have to keep your goals in mind and always stay calm. Then you'll realize all the joy it brings and all the good you’re doing.