Swan named Oakley's Teacher of the Year

By Roni Gehlke
Even after 18 years as a teacher for the Oakley Union Elementary School District, second-grade teacher Julie Swan loves getting up and going to school every day. She credits that to the children in her classroom whom she says are a joy to teach because they are like sponges just waiting to soak up knowledge. Her positive attitude toward her work is just one of the reasons why Swan was named Oakley's Teacher of the Year.

"I'm really enjoying this year's group of students. They are fun to teach. They make it fun to come to work every day," she said. "I really want to thank them for being such a fun group."
Swan was hired by Oakley in 1990 and has taught with both middle and elementary school age students. During her time with the school district, she has taught sixth grade at O'Hara Park Middle School, fourth grade at Gehringer Elementary School and second grade at Vintage Parkway Elementary School.

For the past nine years she has worked at Vintage Parkway School. During that time she has also been involved with the school's leadership club for fourth and fifth grades at the school. She has also worked extensively on a program that does an annual scarf sale to raise money for families in need at Vintage Parkway School.

Swan says that she has a high expectation of all of her students.

"We do a lot of group work and I try to make the curriculum as interesting as I can to keep the children excited," she said. "They are just so enthusiastic at this age and are like sponges soaking up all kinds of information."

She explained that because of the young age of the children she teaches everything is new for them. She said she can't pick one subject that she likes to teach the best, because just watching them learn everything is exciting to her.

"I enjoy it all — the sciences and watching them learn about the world around them, literature and seeing their faces as I read to them. It is all so exciting and keeps me here," she said.
Swan said that she likes teaching second grade, but she has found something positive in teaching each of the grades she has taught over the years.

She wanted to be a teacher all her life, she said. Swan attended Cal-State Chico to receive her teaching credential. Several years back, Swan studied for and received a National Board Certification Program credential.

"The school district gave me a special recognition award for completing that certificate," she said. Swan said her future goal is to just keep working with her students and to keep up her high standards for them. "Their enthusiasm keeps me going," she said.