Top Teachers
Saturday, September 20, 1997
Name: Litia Ho
Age: 43
Position: Eighth-grade American History teacher
Education: University of Hawaii-Manoa
Pastimes: Traveling
Litia Ho wanted to take her students beyond the pages of their history texts. Going beyond the classroom
So she took them on a plane ride to California, where they could learn first-hand about the significance of history.
"She's always focused on the child and what she can do for the child -- it doesn't matter how it puts her out," said Annette Nishikawa, principal of Waianae Intermediate School, where Ho teaches American History. "She goes all out for the kids."
Ho's "History on Tour" project last year took eight students to the mainland almost cost-free. Pulling out all the stops, Ho and her students sold all types of products and held car washes to raise money for their trip. "Nothing was beyond us," she said.
Students only had to pay for their meals and their fun.
In California, students sought out landmarks and museums, visited a middle school similar to their own and toured colleges such as UCLA. They returned with a renewed interest in history.
"They were able to experience getting out of the state," she said. "It's a little more than history books could ever teach them."
Ho's next historical trek will be to Washington, D.C.
Ho said she will do anything to help students learn. "Once they step into my room, I'm going to make it their home. And they're gonna feel welcome."
Kimberly Fu, Special to the Star-Bulletin
