Articles - Fall 2009 - return to index
Faculty Spotlight: Merrill Watrous
Educating the Teachers of Tomorrow
By Chris Cunningham
On the first day of class, Merrill Watrous snaps
photos of her Lane Community College students
and asks them to write letters introducing
themselves to her. She attaches letters to photos
and commits both to memory.
Taking the exercise a step further, Watrous asks her students, all aspiring teachers, to learn something immediately about each classmate and to memorize every name.
It’s a technique that helps classroom teachers
learn about their students, says Watrous, a
cooperative education coordinator at Lane
since 2000.
She should know, having taught nearly every
grade from kindergarten through middle school
for almost 10 years in the 4-J School District,
and 10 years in San Francisco.
The extra time Watrous takes to learn about her
students’ backgrounds and interests pays off
when she places them under the supervision of
classroom teachers in local schools.
“Whether these placements succeed or not depends on the match,” says Watrous, who is steadfast in arranging compatible pairings between seasoned and future teachers.
Watrous wrote the book, “Teaching Writing and Art Throughout the Year,” and recently completed a second, “Writing in Color,” with Eugene artist Ila Kreigh—her former grade school student.
To find out more about teacher education and Cooperative Education at Lane, contact Watrous at (541) 463-5423.
