Class Acts: A Q&A with Grant Salha

Crystal Cavin, a past student of Grant Salha, nominated him for Class Acts. Crystal chose Salha for her fifth-grade hero project. In her paper, Crystal stated that Salha has given her confidence and taught her to think through problems. He would always cheer her up when she was having a bad day and made learning fun.

Name: Grant Salha

Age: 44

Hometown: Modesto

Occupation: Woodrow Elementary School fourth-grade teacher

Family: Wife, Elizabeth, and two daughters, Hailey and Taylor

Background: The Los Banos native has also lived in Monterey and Santa Rosa. He's worked in the grocery business and as a radio broadcaster. He graduated from California State University, Stanislaus, in 1995 and earned a teaching credential from Chapman University.

Teaching experience: Salha has taught fourth grade for 12 years. He taught at Collegeville Elementary in Escalon and C.F. Brown Elementary before going to Woodrow Elementary in Modesto.

Why did you get into teaching? Making a difference in a child's life is like no other feeling in the world. If you do it right, they will remember you forever.

What is your favorite thing about being a teacher? I really enjoy the day-to-day contact with students. I love to see the kids laughing and enjoying learning. There are no two days alike in this profession.

What is the most challenging part of your job? Class sizes have become too large, the pacing is often too swift and the budget crisis is affecting a lot of people, most importantly the students. As a result, the most challenging part is meeting the needs of every student.

Favorite teaching tool or activity in the classroom? I use my Elmo document presenter and LCD projector, along with my laptop.

What's next in your classroom? STAR testing is coming up at the end of April. I will be beginning the third year of an after-school Speed Stacks program that will teach hand-eye coordination and help to build self-confidence and discipline. Next month, we will be having a Career Day for our fourth- and fifth-grade students.

Advice for new teachers: Organization and sticky notes will keep you sane. Stay on top of things by using a daily planner. Latch on to an experienced teacher who loves to share.

Advice for students: Try your hardest and don't hesitate to let your teacher know when you don't understand. We will make time to help you.

Advice for parents: Work as a team with your child and their teacher. Make the commitment to spend quality time with your children. It is the best gift that you can give them and it won't cost you a penny.

Future Plans: To run often enough in order to join our students in the

20 Mile Club at Woodrow.

How do you reach students not interested in school? I use humor and music a lot in our classroom to capture and maintain their attention. I learn about the students' interests and try to attend their activities and performances outside of school. All of these things allow me to build trust and a relationship with the student.

COMPILED BY JILLIAN HANKS,

BEE NEWSROOM ASSISTANT

This story was originally published April 21, 2008 at 3:01 AM with the headline "Class Acts: A Q&A with Grant Salha."