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.
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