"The educator's role has changed from being a 'teacher of subjects,' to a 'teacher of life through subjects,'" says Ada Paquette, a counselor at Junction City Middle School in Junction City. As a teacher and counselor, Mrs. Paquette sees it as her obligation to prepare students for a troubled world. Mrs. Paquette believes that harsh economic times together with an increasingly unsettled social fabric will undoubtedly affect us all, but "it is our children, " she insists, "who are most affected because of their vulnerability." By privileging an atmosphere of trust and warmth, Mrs. Paquette tries to "raise students' self-esteem," and to help them develop to their full academic and personal potential. Furthermore, she believes that educators "need to be sensitive to the needs of the culturally different student. I firmly believe," she adds, "that to give students dignity is to respect their language, heritage, beliefs, and abilities." Although she concedes that the task may be difficult, she is determined to work towards the "liberation of the hearts and minds of young people, and a climate of true harmony in our schools and communities."
1962 Catholic University at Puerto Rico, B.A.
