TEACHER'S CORNER: TEACHER USES EXPERIENCE TO TEACH STUDENTS AT ORAN

ORAN -- Terri Edney tries to teach her students by using her own life experiences.

Edney teaches a seventh- and eighth-grade combination class at Guardian Angel Catholic School.

Because the school is small, Edney teaches more than just the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic. She also teaches Spanish, religion and art classes for the junior high students.

"Since I lived in Venezuela for a year and a half, I try to bring some of that culture, along with the language to my students," Edney said. "An added benefit is that I think it makes them appreciate the great country we live in."

And to teach her students about some of the country's freedoms, Edney created a research project in the religion class.

When the students began studying other religions and faiths, Edney suggested they interview ministers in the community.

"This helped them to see that in most cases, we have more similarities than differences in our beliefs," she said.

The students interviewed some ministers on videotape and others visited the classroom to talk about their beliefs.

Edney has been teaching at Guardian Angel Catholic School for three years. Prior to teaching here, she taught GED classes to inmates at a minimum-security prison in North Carolina and was also the compensatory education coordinator at Mayland Community College in Spruce Pine, N.C.

"I became a teacher simply because I love children," she said. "I try to challenge them to be the best that they can be and in return they challenge me to be a better teacher and person. Nothing in this world can be more gratifying than to see how much a child grows from the beginning of the year to the end of the year, and to be a part, however small, of that growth."

Edney and her husband, John, have three children.