VALLEY CENTER: Teacher of the year Bill Kvitli answered calling after 20-year wait

By GARY WARTH - Staff Writer | Friday, September 26, 2008 11:09 PM PDT ∞

VALLEY CENTER --- Wearing a Scooby-Doo tie and an ear-to-ear grin, Bill Kvitli could have passed for the host of a children's show when he was talking earlier this week to his students at Valley Center Primary School.

But instead of showing cartoons or playing games, he was asking students to help write their own version of one of the stories they had read. The students still were entertained.

"Can we use commas?" one boy asked.

"Ab-so-LUTE-ly," Kvitli responded excitedly.

The second-graders quietly began work on their own essays while Kvitli hovered over a protective teddy bear looking over their shoulders to offer guidance and assistance.

To watch Kvitli in class is to see someone who loves his job, something that no doubt played a role in his selection last week as one of five teachers of the year in San Diego County.

Kvitli shares the honor with Theodosia Ballard of Walter J. Porter North Elementary School in San Diego, Alex Kajitani of Mission Middle School in Escondido, Patricia Midori Blome of San Ysidro High School, and Tom Waldron of Valhalla High School in El Cajon.

"I really enjoy it," Kvitli said about his job. "I guess because I'm a kid at heart."

Kvitli said he tries to make learning fun for his students, who share his classroom with terrariums that are home to Charlotte, a cherry-headed red-foot tortoise, and Little Diego, a bearded dragon.

For encouragement, praiseworthy student assignments hang on a board for outstanding work, and a banner across the wall reads "Never settle for less than your best."

The banner could serve as Kvitli's own motto, who at 50 is in his 12th year as a teacher.

"When I got my first degree from San Diego State University in 1980, I had planned on becoming a teacher," he said. "Unfortunately, the economic times were the same as they are now, and they weren't hiring teachers."

Kvitli had taken a job as a manager of the produce company Brothers Market Inc. while majoring in psychology with an emphasis in child development. He thought he would stay for a couple of years, but stayed almost 20.

Kvitli finally followed his heart and began taking night classes at National University to work toward a teaching credential.

"I was getting almost 40 and really wanted to make a change," he said.

Kvitli knows teaching is not a job for everybody, but he did not let the career's high turnover rate discourage him.

"It's a profession you need to feel a calling for in order to do good work," he said.

Kvitli, who has two children of his own, said he feels that calling every day.

"I know this was what I was meant to do," he said.

Kvitli uses a method called the Cycle of Inquiry as his teaching technique, and begins each semester learning as much as he can about his students, including their levels and their interests. He said that helps him tailor assignments to be most effective. Since many boys in the class like football, for instance, math lessons may relate to throwing a ball 10 or 20 yards down field.

"I'll go to the library and get books on the subjects I know they're interested in reading," he said. "I liked to play games with the kids that reinforce the things we've been teaching to make it fun for the kids."

The school threw a party at recess Thursday to recognize Kvitli being named the district's first county teacher of the year. Returning to their classroom, several students gave him hugs while walking into the room.

The five county teachers of the year will be considered in the selection of five California teachers of the year sometime in November. One of the state's five teachers will represent California in a competition for national teacher of the year.

Contact staff writer Gary Warth at (760) 740-5410 or gwarth@nctimes.com.

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