Magnet teacher, Interact
Sender
Tamara Hoffman
Posted On
2010-04-23
Year
1983-2009
Memoir
A LETTER FROM A TEACHER IN THE LAHS FAMILY
Los Angeles High School conjures up memories for most alumnae of football games, clubs we belonged to and organizations we wished we had joined. Some of us are still friends with classmates and many shared our most recent Class of ’58 Reunion.
For me, my memories of LAHS are much more recent; until last June, I was a social studies classroom teacher.. The 27 years that I taught at LA have left many impressions, biased by time and age, but still vivid as seen through my experiences as a classroom teacher; sponsor of various clubs such as Interact, Close-up, Multi-cultural club, senior sponsor, Academic Decathlon coach, speech coach, and Project 540—a funded, student-driven study to identify issues and problems within the school and to propose solutions. My classroom was a hangout during lunch where kids could study, nap or just talk. We went on hundreds of trips through the years, to museums such as LACMA and the Getty, attended numerous plays at the Theatre center, Fountain Theatre, and Fullerton College. Students were invited to World Affair Council luncheons and dinners, attended leadership programs at UCLA and USC, and participated in leadership trips to Sacramento, Valley Forge, and Washington D.C. Some of these LAHS graduates went on to further their education at the UCs, MIT, CalTech, Harvard, and Georgetown. Most went to state universities or community colleges.
There were other teachers as involved and engaged as I was--many remaining after school to tutor their students--but the three-track system diffused and diluted the impact of our collective and individual efforts. Not all classes at LAHS included educational field trips but constituted the grind of daily classes which got more complex as we went to the three track system where many students and faculty were splintered by different class offerings on different tracks taught during different sessions in the school year. Football was on one track, and most of the advanced placement classes were on another, and photography or yearbook on yet another. For most of the past 12 years we functioned relatively well, and our students continued to perform impressively in Band and Color Guard, Academic Decathlon, Meza competition, Rotary Club community service projects and some sport programs. The more successful LAHS students are a result of collaborative efforts with interested teachers, the college advisor, some of the local universities and community colleges, as well as through contacts with a few alumnae who were aware of the needs at LA. However, many students found the culture of the school lacking in inspiration and motivation—their will to excel flagged.
.
As we look to transition to the traditional calendar in fall 2010, I will no longer be in the classroom, but I am going to be there as a mentor and alumna helping her school regain its culture and pride. I hope that you can join me in whatever capacity, as a mentor, scholarship awarder, business connection, or ‘visiting’ role-model.
Cordially,
Tamara Bogorad Hoffman, S’58
A LETTER FROM A TEACHER IN THE LAHS FAMILY
Los Angeles High School conjures up memories for most alumnae of football games, clubs we belonged to and organizations we wished we had joined. Some of us are still friends with classmates and many shared our most recent Class of ’58 Reunion.
For me, my memories of LAHS are much more recent; until last June, I was a social studies classroom teacher.. The 27 years that I taught at LA have left many impressions, biased by time and age, but still vivid as seen through my experiences as a classroom teacher; sponsor of various clubs such as Interact, Close-up, Multi-cultural club, senior sponsor, Academic Decathlon coach, speech coach, and Project 540—a funded, student-driven study to identify issues and problems within the school and to propose solutions. My classroom was a hangout during lunch where kids could study, nap or just talk. We went on hundreds of trips through the years, to museums such as LACMA and the Getty, attended numerous plays at the Theatre center, Fountain Theatre, and Fullerton College. Students were invited to World Affair Council luncheons and dinners, attended leadership programs at UCLA and USC, and participated in leadership trips to Sacramento, Valley Forge, and Washington D.C. Some of these LAHS graduates went on to further their education at the UCs, MIT, CalTech, Harvard, and Georgetown. Most went to state universities or community colleges.
There were other teachers as involved and engaged as I was--many remaining after school to tutor their students--but the three-track system diffused and diluted the impact of our collective and individual efforts. Not all classes at LAHS included educational field trips but constituted the grind of daily classes which got more complex as we went to the three track system where many students and faculty were splintered by different class offerings on different tracks taught during different sessions in the school year. Football was on one track, and most of the advanced placement classes were on another, and photography or yearbook on yet another. For most of the past 12 years we functioned relatively well, and our students continued to perform impressively in Band and Color Guard, Academic Decathlon, Meza competition, Rotary Club community service projects and some sport programs. The more successful LAHS students are a result of collaborative efforts with interested teachers, the college advisor, some of the local universities and community colleges, as well as through contacts with a few alumnae who were aware of the needs at LA. However, many students found the culture of the school lacking in inspiration and motivation—their will to excel flagged.
.
As we look to transition to the traditional calendar in fall 2010, I will no longer be in the classroom, but I am going to be there as a mentor and alumna helping her school regain its culture and pride. I hope that you can join me in whatever capacity, as a mentor, scholarship awarder, business connection, or ‘visiting’ role-model.
Cordially,
Tamara Bogorad Hoffman, S’58