July 3, 2007

Newport kindergarten teacher among inaugural Ed.D. class
Kindergarten teacher Dave Hernandez recently received his seventh university degree.
By SPENCER KORNHABER
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

NEWPORT BEACH – In Dave Hernandez's Newport Heights Elementary kindergarten classroom, the teacher is also a student.

After more than two years of studying, Hernandez received his seventh degree, a doctorate in educational administration and leadership from a joint program at Cal State Fullerton and UC Irvine on June 17.

Hernandez is one of four people in the program's first graduating class. Besides teaching kindergarten and pursuing his second doctoral degree, Hernandez has also been coaching new teachers on getting their credentials and lecturing part time at Cal State Fullerton and UCI. He'll be entering his second year of teaching kindergarten at Newport Heights this fall, though he's been teaching elementary school for 10 years.

Q: What do you hope to do with this degree?

A: I'm hoping to work up to be principal, perhaps up to superintendent and then hopefully onto (teaching) doctoral students.

I like having an impact on students and preparing them for life. I figure that on a superintendent or professor level I'll be able to have a broader impact by helping teachers.

Q: What lessons have the kindergarteners taught you?

A: That there are many ways to learn a subject area. Not all children learn the same way, so you have to try to figure out what the children are thinking and find out where the deficits are so that you can meet those needs.

So if you're teaching a mathematics addition lesson, you need to figure out how they're thinking about it.

Plus, they have a joy of learning: The kindergarteners are there each morning with bright cheery faces saying, "Yes! What can I learn today?" So that was very inspiring.

Q: Why are you interested in education?

A: I was in business for about 12 years as a manager. In business, you successfully complete a project and you get kudos and you might get a bonus, but then you have to start over again – you're climbing the next mountain and the next mountain.

But not with children. You get a lot of positive reinforcement when they learn something. That's why I went back into education: to see the joy on the children's faces.

It's the best job in the world.

Q: What kind of student are you?

A: I'm a type-A person, I'm very much a perfectionist

I like to be top of the class, which is funny, because with my students, I have very high expectations but I realize they're in kindergarten, so I'm very patient.

Q: What's one of your favorite memories of teaching?

A: While teaching reading to a group of underperforming students…one of them who I recall, was a special-ed student. The light went on as to "Oh! These sounds go together and they make a word!"

… That's why I say this is the best job in the world, because in kindergarten is where that light goes on.

Q: Do your students know about your degree?

A: Actually, not really. I was already Dr. Hernandez to them, so getting another doctoral degree; I didn't make a big deal about it. I told a few of the parents who help in the classroom, so they kind of spread the word.

Q: So why does a kindergarten teacher need a doctorate?

A: Any teacher should have a commitment to continuing education. For me, it wasn't necessarily that I needed a doctorate, I just wanted to continue my education, and it didn't make sense for me to go for another undergraduate. It's not necessarily that a kindergarten teacher needs a doctorate; it's that it helps me with my career.

Q: What do you bring to the classroom with this degree?

A: The degree is in curriculum and instruction, (so it gives) me a broader perspective on how curriculum was developed, and also in instruction. Even though my eventual goal is to work with doctoral students, it helps me right now because it's helped me hold a leadership role at my school.