The Milan News-Leader
A Heritage Newspaper
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Meet the teacher: Richard Pellegrini
Pellegrini having fun
PUBLISHED: January 24, 2008
Name: Richard Pellegrini
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Age: 58
Family: Wife, Kim; sons, Eric and Matthew; daughter, Kendra; stepdaughters, Jaymie and Tracey; and stepson, Michael.
Education: Bachelor's degree from Northern Michigan University and a master's degree in secondary education from Eastern Michigan University.
Native of: Norway, Mich.
Teaching experience: One year at Menominee Catholic Central and 36 years at Milan High School.
Subjects you teach: Sociology and social psychology.
Grade you teach: Mostly 10th through 12th grades.
Favorite subject in school: Social studies area.
Least favorite subject in school: The English area.
Something people would be surprised to know about you: I grew up on a dairy farm in the Upper Peninsula and pretty much knew how to run the entire operation before I left for my teaching career
Most influential person in your life: Besides my parents, it would be my high school football coach Gene Melchori. He told me I would become a teacher and, if lucky, I would be a coach, as well.
Quote to live by: "Expect out of life what you put into it."
What do you like most about teaching?
Kids are kids and every day is a new learning experience for the teacher because they are getting further from the teenage group. In other words, the gap widens and you better be able to keep up with those youngsters.
What do you like least about teaching?
I think our students are stressed out more today then ever before. State and national testing guidelines that they are suppose to reach.
I am all for getting our students to excel. I just hope we are not selling ourselves out to every new innovative educational/learning theory/practice to improve our students, but at the same time at their expense.
What is the most challenging part about teaching?
Staying on top of the academics, while still having the fun of being an educator.
What are some of the goals you set for students?
Being responsible and being a good citizen. Try to improve and work to your ability.
How do you handle a disruptive student?
I rarely send a student to the office. I would like to think that with a few words of advice, the problem will be solved.
How do you handle a student who does not focus well?
I try to give that student a few hints or devices that they may want to try. We will look at a new seating area because they may be distracted from someone. I try not to lecture for more then 40 minutes at a time. Activities, student/group work time and videos help out to make an 88-minute block seem a lot shorter at times. I have a voice that at times can get a student to focus. It's not low or soft in its makeup.
What do you tell parents about being involved in their children's education?
You can never be overly involved with your child's education.
They have 13 years near you and the rest of their lives away from you.
Take advantage of those years, they go by quite fast.
Are students feeling more pressure to succeed today?
I addressed it in the question above.
Walk us through a typical day for you:
A quick attendance. Possibly a review of the previous day's lesson, a lecture or discussion on the notes that are on the Webster board. Many times there are hyperlinks of computer data that will be projected to the board to coincide with the day's notes. An individual or group activity or work. Possible video or an assignment. Collect any day's work that may be done early and award bonus points for early work completed.
How has your job changed over the years?
We went from a six-class day to a four-by-four block schedule. Classes were 55 minutes in length and now they are 88 minutes. My notes were put on a chalk board and now they are projected onto a computerized Webster board. All of my lessons are stored in my computer, but before they were in a three-ring binder.
My notes were messy at times, but now they are 30-point font typed notes projected for all to see clearly.
What do you like most about teaching in Milan?
Our school system is the center of this community. Milan is proud of its school system. I have gotten to teach the student, who then became the parent of my students and now I get to teach their grandchildren. Many of my students have stayed in this area to raise their kids. I would like to think they stayed partially because of our school system.
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