NORTH KOHALA — With school back in session, at Kohala High School Fern White’s STEM English class is gearing up for another year of exploration, investigation, experimentation and presentation.
Along with foundational literature and writing skills, individual students will be carrying out their own projects. These can range anywhere from science experimentation to the creation of video documentaries.
A longtime Kohala High School teacher, White grew up on Ulupalakua Ranch on Maui and likes to say that everything she needed to know she learned from horses.
On horseback from a young age, White started teaching riding at 16. Training and riding horses have given her foundational insights into learning processes that she has taken into the classroom.
When she graduated from high school, even though she was considered to be on a college track, White was unable to afford school. Undaunted, she decided to look for scholarship money and entered a beauty contest for Miss Maui in 1968, winning $500.
White decided to use the money to enroll in business school on Oahu while working as a nanny for four children and a stable hand in order to board her horse. Business school was not for her though, and she continued riding and working in the schools para professionally, taking any job offer.
“I worked as a substitute teacher from 1974 for all grades, as a part-time teacher, cafeteria worker, secretary, a reading and ESL tutor, and for Castle Medical doing drug education and working with at-risk students in an alternative education program,” White said.
And all this time, she continued to teach horseback riding and compete in rodeo events both in Hawaii and on the mainland.
A marriage and two children later, White finally enrolled at the University of Hawaii at Hilo in 1989 at the age of 39 as a non-traditional student. In fact you might say that nothing about White is traditional.
After earning a BA in English with an interdisciplinary science certificate in 1994, she obtained her secondary teaching certificate and began work at Kohala High School where she has woven her varied skills and experiences into a dynamic holistic approach to learning.
White’s work with horses, people on horses and an outside-the-box approach to learning have combined to create a dynamic, multi-faceted classroom experience.
“Activity before concept and concept before vocabulary” is one of White’s guiding principles.
To enter White’s STEM English classroom is to find a world of possibility and resources. She has coached students in everything from speech and debate to award-winning electric vehicle and robotics programs — all the while enriching their lives with literature and writing.
White teaches from the heart and is able to tap into her own learning experiences as she acts as a guide for students.
“To unpack things, to teach it, challenges you to really know what you’re doing by feel. That all fits into how and why I teach. Let me help you go on and find your own way. I’ll facilitate your discovery. There it is. Now remember that feeling,” White explained.
In 2000, horsemanship inspired her on to strive for professional career excellence.
“I went to Oklahoma and competed in the world championship in open division barrel racing and won top 10 in the world. Being world-class was the pinnacle. On the plane returning home, I decided I would go for National Board certification,” White recalled.
She rode at that world championship on Royal Merrymaid, a soul mate whose stubborn individuality suited her.
“She had chips in her knees and they all said she wasn’t going to last. But she had guts. She could run a hole in the wind,” White remembered.
She has also extended her love of learning and horsemanship beyond the classroom, sharing her belief in the healing properties of horses and riding through Lio Lapaau, a special horse therapy program.
“The concept is that horses provide healing and health for humans. They are the most noble creatures on earth,” White said.
After becoming board certified in 2003, she went on to earn a Master of Arts in teaching from the National University in 2006, and is now in a teacher leadership role, working to “shift instruction to utilize student interests and engage them in the decision-making.”
“As educators, we have to constantly think about what the students need. That’s a moving target. Foundations are important and that’s not a moving target. Here’s the foundation, what can we latch on to that?” White explained.
Students walk through her door and start a journey of self-discovery supported by foundational reading and writing experiences. White makes her students earn their freedom to explore by meeting tough standards.
“The first quarter is heavy writing and medium heavy reading non-fiction texts because that’s their science, technology and engineering piece, and they have to do a research paper in the second quarter,” White said.
At the same time, students are delving into short fiction and other literature, which is all woven together to create a rich learning experience.
“The reason I’m here is that I hold to the faith that at the core of every human being there is goodness. Let’s find a way to find that goodness. I try to be transparent in my passion so they know that they have somebody in front of them that wants it for them,” White said.
“My metaphor for teaching is that I am the river for my students to get on their boat and ride down. Sometimes the river is going to be rough and they fall in the water, and sometimes we have to paddle hard, but I’m here to facilitate,” she concluded.