The Sun
Sunnyvale's Newspaper

De Anza students get to work at Garden Gate

By Katherine Petersen

De Anza College urges all of its students to be outstanding in their field, and Andro Rios has taken the advice somewhat literally.

The Sunnyvale resident spends more and more time these days out standing in the field at Garden Gate Elementary school, where he leads a group of sixth-graders in soccer drills.

But Rios, who works at Garden Gate through a work-study program to make money for college, is just as likely to find himself in a classroom or behind a push broom at the Cupertino school. His work is part of a program that stemmed from President Clinton's initiative to use federal work-study money for community service.

Rios, who is in his second year at De Anza College, works 20 hours a week with sixth-graders at Garden Gate. Besides working with kids on athletics, he also assists them with math and reading.

"The kids might be the finest readers in the class but have trouble dribbling a soccer ball," said Sylvia Machamer, Garden Gate's learning resource specialist. "It's too hard to tailor a P.E. class to each child's needs."

De Anza College expanded its work-study program last year to offer some students a chance to work at the elementary school rather than on campus, said Cindy Castillo, the school's director of financial aid and scholarships.

Depending on the day of the week, between 15 and 17 De Anza students work a variety of jobs at Garden Gate. The students' jobs include monitoring the playground during lunch and recess, performing clerical duties such as photocopying and shelving library books, and working in classrooms, Machamer said.

"They do everything you could imagine," Machamer said. "We want them to get their hours, so sometimes when the teachers are off at a workshop, the kids will do custodial work. They don't think they're too good for anything."

Rios relished the opportunity to work with kids and not having a desk job. "I'm an extrovert, so this job is great. It definitely builds character, and you learn a lot," he said. "Teaching is a hard job, but it's worth it."

In his P.E. sessions, Rios starts the kids with warm-up exercises and then usually works on skills for a particular sport, such as shooting baskets or skipping rope. The kids appear to like working with someone who is a bit closer to their age, he said.

"As long as you're fair with everybody, they're cool with you," he added.

The De Anza students have a hard time going into the teachers' room because they feel like they're somewhere between being kids and adults, Machamer said. She has the children call the college students by Mr. and Miss and their first name, which took time for them to get used to.

"It's an eerie feeling for them," she said. "It's fun to watch the two age groups interact."

Monique Salas, a Sunnyvale resident, spends most of her time in a fifth-grade classroom of 38 students and two teachers. She takes groups of students to the computer lab and works with them on reading skills.

"I really like working with kids," she said. "It's a lot of fun." Salas also does yard duty every day, every once in a while having to blow the whistle on her charges.

For students who are working for the first time, having a job in an elementary school can be less intimidating and act as a confidence booster, Castillo said.

"We try to pick students who might have an inclination toward being a teacher," she said.

De Anza College spends 5 percent ($15,000) of its work-study budget on salaries for students who work at Garden Gate, Castillo said. Students create their own schedules, putting in between 12 and 20 hours a week.

"It's the ideal job," Rios said.

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This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, October 29, 1997.
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