Classical High School - Blue and White Yearbook (Springfield, MA)

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Mrs. Smith takes a routine call Miss Carolina Accorsi - Language Mr. Arthur Barnes - English The Psychology Boom Over the past four year, the psychology course at Classical has had a 300% increase in enrolled students. The reason for the growth, as explained by psychology teacher Mrs. Iris Danforth, is due mainly to the fact that she and Mr. Clark Henderson, a psychology teacher, decided in‘1975 to rewrite the psychology curriculum and expand the course. The new curriculum limited the straight lectures and began using totally new techniques making'the course more interesting and challenging. The students were encouraged to become more involved so that they would become active contributors to the course and at the same time would be learning. Although Mrs. Danforth found that she had no discipline problems with her students, she did find one minor negative aspect in her larger classes, which was that she was not able to work with students individually as sucessfully as she could have in smaller classes. Some of the psychology topics covered in the course are learning theory, theories of personality, drug and alcohol abuse, and psychological testing. The psychology classes also took field trips to Monson State Hospital and Hampden County House of Correction. A guest speaker from the State Welfare Department discus sed child abuse with the class, and clinical 24 |(2] FACULTY Mr. Gerald Canter - Counsler Miss Sandra Camp - Art Miss Isabelle Brown w - Librarian ; ie ha Serene 2s 7 aR REE Le (ult BLFOCSLS psychologist Dr. Jack Patten discussed the relationship of the mind and the body, and psychogenic illnesses. All of these additions to usual classroom activities contributed to the growing popularity of the course.

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Mr. Daniel McLaughlin-Gym Mrs. June Schoppe-Art Mr. Robert Stevens-Math Learning: a two-way Street If a Classical student were flunking a subject this year, at least he had something to look forward to, and that was being tutored. This year at Classical, students were provided with improved facilities for tutoring. Instead of being in the counselors’ office, which could get very distracting when trying to study, the tutoring room was changed to room 139. Tutoring aids Classical students a great deal. Sometimes it is difficult for a teacher to take the time to individually explain a point to a student during class, and that is how the tutoring process benefits the student, for with a tutor, students can get individualized instruction. The tutors at Classical are all volunteers and are usually obtained through the National Honor Society or through one Poem teree comer inevexpertice witht Deidra of the counselors. Seniors Kathy LaMotte and Peter Speliopoulos were both tutors this year. Kathy stated | that, “It was a learning experience for both of us.’”” Kathy Peter, who also tutored twice a week, found it enjoyable. | tutored a student twice a week. Tutoring only twice a week “It’s rewarding to know that you are helping someone,” gave the student time to collect questions and a chance to he stated. Peter feels that he “really helped’ the work on his own. It is not good to have the student too student he tutored. Tutoring is a learning experience dependent on the tutor. The duty of the tutor is to help for both parties. Although a student may not the student, not do his homework for him. The student also necessarily enjoy being tutored at first, where would has to ask questions in class. he be without it here at Classical? FACULTY |[@ 23

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“Teaching At Its Best’ Miss Linda Tammi an English and psychology teacher, feels that a teacher should be able to enjoy the student-teacher relationship to bring out the most in a learning situation. She explains this by saying, ‘For me, teaching at its best has always meant sharing ... sharing an enthusiasm for a field of study.” In order for a teacher to teach a subject well, she must enjoy it thoroughly and must be able to communicate both a understanding and a respect for the field to her student. Miss Tammi expresses her feelings for English saying, “I like teaching English because I enjoy sharing a love of reading and of learning to write.” Psycho logy is a course which studies human behavior and some of its many mysteries. Miss Tammi expresses her interest in the course by saying, “Teaching psychology this year has been really exciting. It has given me a chance to share a curiosity about human Miss Tammi checks over Jeff Jordan’s yearbook copy. behavior, a topic which always engages me.” Mr. Paul Robbins - Music Mrs. Linda Rozzi - Math Mr. David Macomber - Language % Mr. James O’Donnell-Science Mrs. Lyons adjusts a pressure cooker. Mr. Raymond Lussier - Language FACULTY [f@ 25