Martin Ricard—Parkside Middle School Teacher For a Day

Martin Ricard, San Bruno Patch Editor, stepped out from behind his notepad and laptop and into the classroom.  Martin came to Parkside to teach 158 middle school students about a day in the life of a journalist.  And I hope he learned a new perspective about what public school teachers do everyday.

Last Friday, Martin was the Technology Elective teacher.  This year my class is structured as a theme project-based coursework class.  The students will be learning about newspapers while learning all the technology skills they need to be successful in High School and College. 

Newspapers are the perfect example of how technology changes our lives.  In the past, the news was delivered each morning soley on our front porch or each night on TV. But the popularity of the Internet has delivered the news 24/7 into our homes.

Martin comes from a long line of public school teachers; however, this was his first time teaching middle school. I wasn’t worried whether the students would love him, and he was overly prepared to cover 56 minutes of curriculum about the importance of doing good research, verifying facts, and plagiarism/copyright issues.  Of course, he presented the material with a youthful and humorous slant.

The Parkside Technology students enjoyed Martin’s instructional style. “I thought he was a good teacher and he taught us a lot of stuff.  It was very helpful,” said Sierra Miller, Parkside 8th Grader.

Mrs. Addiego even observed "Professor Ricard" and gave him an outstanding evaluation for his work. “Prof. Ricard had a natural presence with students and presented a prepared and poignant lesson. I give him kudos for stepping into the shoes of an already awesome teacher, Mrs. Marinos. I hope Prof. Richard reflects and shares how awesome the teachers, students and families of Parkside are! The media, specifically, the Patch, can help spread the truth that Parkside is an awesome testament to public education and that all of the community of Parkside Middle School are working to be the change we wish to see in the world,” said Mrs. Addiego.

When asked if Martin had a new appreciation for what teachers do every day, he responded: “Definitely. After Friday, I had more stories to do and realized that I was so tired I could not concentrate anymore. And that was just after one day.  For me to be a teacher, I would need a lifetime supply of 5 hour energy.”

Martin’s advice for other guest lecturers would be to be gentle with the students, and make sure your lesson is interactive, fun and easy to understand.  “I thought I was prepared, but you just need to go with the flow.  Timing is important.  You might not have all the time you thought.  I feel like there was so much more I would have loved to share.  My hope is that they learned something,” said Martin at the end of the long day.

Dominique Harris, Parkside 8th Grader, would agree that Martin taught them important information about how to search effectively. “I think he taught us a lot of things and made his visit so much fun. I wish he could stay longer and I hope he comes again soon,” said Dominique Harris. 

I would like to thank Martin for volunteering at Parkside. He gave Parkside students a glimpse into the life of an editor of an online newspaper and he received a glimpse into the daily life of a teacher.