Most of us remember being asked from a young age what we wanted to be when we grew up. From ballet dancers and movie stars to astronauts, firefighters, and teachers, some of these answers are attainable and some simply a child’s dream. In Yvonne Davis’ classroom, however, she doesn’t just let the question drop at the “what” kids want to be—but follows it up with the “how” they’re going to become what they wish. It usually involves college.
“You just can’t decide you’re going to be a doctor and miraculously become one. You’re going to have to learn these skills from early on, and be focused on heading that direction,” Davis says. “We want to teach the kids that that kind of stuff doesn’t just happen, you have to make it happen. So we start talking about college early.”
For 20 years, Davis has taught kindergarten through second grade at Don Benito Elementary School in Pasadena, and has become known as an outstanding teacher throughout her school and beyond— named “Teacher of Excellence” by the Pasadena Rotary Club, a “Teacher – Making a Difference” by the California State PTA, and has been repeatedly been distinguished as “The Best Teacher in Pasadena”, by Pasadena Weekly. It’s easy to see why: her lessons don’t end when students leave her classroom.
College comes up organically
When you visit her classroom, you see a bulletin board decorated with Pacific Oaks memorabilia. When her school decided to start encouraging students to consider college at a young age, she became a Pacific Oaks advocate to kindergartners, having gone to The Children’s School and graduating from Pacific Oaks College.
“The theory behind promoting college in preschool and kindergarten is that we should be preparing all children to be college and career ready. Whether they choose those paths or not is their own choice, but we should be talking about it and preparing them academically for college or career all the way,” Davis says.
With decor focused on Pacific Oaks College & Children’s School, the conversation isn’t meant to overwhelm the classroom—but rather complement the traditional course. “We talk about it when the opportunity is there, like when a visitor comes in, we talk about where they went to college. If the connection is there, we make that connection for the children,” Davis says.
Having attended The Children’s School as a toddler, her path eventually brought her back to Pacific Oaks to become an educator. Growing up near Pasadena, Davis intended to go to college away from home, but after a few semesters realized that the education she was seeking was available right at home. Although the memories about The Children’s School had faded, the feelings the school gave her never went away.
“I remembered it from my childhood as somewhere free and easy, somewhere I felt comfortable, which was not a typical feeling for me outside my home. It was a happy place for me when I was little,” Davis says. “When I went off to college, I realized that not every place is so child-focused, and I wanted to be the teacher that focused on the child and the child’s future.”
A community in the classroom
While students spend the majority of their day in school, Davis knows that encouraging a love for school must be supported at home, too. This is why her devotion to making every person feel accepted and needed in her classroom doesn’t just stop at the student level. With an open-door policy, she invites every parent, grandparent, aunt, or uncle to volunteer in any way they can.
“I like to find ways to make the parents and families successful and involved in school, and make that connection for them because it’s really easy to just drop off the kids and keep going. But there are little ways that people can be helpful, that make them feel good and make the kids feel good, and make everyone a part of the child’s education,” Davis says.
The community she strives to encourage in her classroom is in service to her ultimate goal to make learning and school fun for students at a young age, so they do continue on and one day find themselves in college—whether at Pacific Oaks or somewhere else.
“It’s so important that children in kindergarten find joy coming to school. If they don’t, they’re just never going to make it. There is so much education that comes after my classroom, and if kids are turned off at this point, we’re just not going to be able to keep them in school. I try to instill joy in learning,” Davis explains.
By bringing Pacific Oaks into her kindergarten classroom through a bulletin board, conversations, and her noble efforts as a teacher, maybe she’ll also inspire one of her students to join the Pacific Oaks community one day.
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