Teaching is her way of life

Mary A. Castillo

Retired elementary teacher Marge Fuller, 77, proves that sometimes

life pulls you back in to do what you do best.

When she and her husband moved to Laguna Beach full-time in 1993,

she joined the American Assn. of University Women, and a few years

later found herself back in the classroom helping students at El

Morro Elementary School.

“I like to be with kids,” she said. “It’s a very close bonding.

For a couple of hours a week, they get total immersion in reading and

conversation.”

Fuller has retired twice, first from the Los Angeles Unified

School District in 1983 and then seven years later from a Pasadena

private school. When the Help a Child Program was started back in

1999, she was one of the first who signed up to work with

Spanish-speaking children who needed help with their English. The

program is now open to any student who needs extra help with any

given subject.

“She’s one of those volunteers who goes that extra mile,” said

Peggy Thomas, vice president of membership and educational co-chair.

“She combines teaching basic skills with fun, so [the children] enjoy

being there.”

Thomas recalled one afternoon when she walked down the school

corridor as classes were let out. As Fuller walked past one of the

classrooms, a little girl ran out, hugged her tightly and then ran

right back in before her teacher had a chance to officially dismiss

class.

Although Fuller has cut back from working in the classroom, she

enjoys her after-school sessions with her young charges.

“Some of these children have no one to help them at home with

homework,” she said. “Some have two working parents and don’t have a

lot of adult attention. It’s just the way life is in this day and

age.”

The greatest reward for her work is watching her students grow and

succeed in school.

“There are a lot of little kids who do fall behind and they need a

little push to get them back on track,” she said.

* MARY A. CASTILLO covers education, public safety and City Hall.

She can be reached at mary.castillo@latimes.com.