(February 28, 2001) -- Clark Magnet High School’s first annual student teacher exchange program was launched by the Clark Chronicle Feb. 8 and 9 to give students and teachers the opportunity to experience the enjoyable or difficult task of each position. Through this program the publications class raised $1,225.75 after the auctions took place Feb. 6 and 7.
A total of 24 teachers participated in the program, which allowed 84 classes to experience the exchange.

Teachers that brought in the most money all together were Charles DeVore with $107, Diana Connley with $92 and Victoria Marcucci with $89.

Many teachers said the program benefited themselves and the students.  “I had an opportunity to see what students wanted to have in the class that maybe I hadn’t done,” said Julie Ann Melville. Senior Ani Avetisyan said she “realized more than ever” that it is too hard to be a teacher and that she does not want to be one.  Avetisyan bid $42, the highest individual bid, for English teacher Diana Connley’s class.

Some teachers said they did not expect the the students’ point of view to be so different.  “I thought it was difficult to give up my position and difficult for the students to fulfill the position of a teacher,” said Connley, describing how some students were not prepared enough to teach the class.

Some students said being a teacher was not as easy as they felt it would be.  Junior Alex Moon admitted he had to discuss the poem he had to teach in English with the teacher to learn how to analyze it correctly in front of the class. Junior Patrick Son played a few rounds of Simon Says in the same class, but for a different period.  Freshman Danielle Sadd enjoyed giving punishments to misbehaving students such as having students sing a Ricky Martin song. She said she thought it was “difficult to do the work of her teacher.”

Then there were those students who were simply lucky.  Sophomores Sevan Sarkisian and Alex Hovespians just relaxed and enjoyed bagels and drinks as the rest of the class took a geometry test.  “Worked out great for me,” Sarkisian said. “I got out of taking a test with an automatic A.”