UNITING TWO GENERATIONS TEACHER HAS SENSE OF HISTORY.

Byline: Karen Maeshiro Staff Writer

LANCASTER - Lancaster High School history teacher Jamie Goodreau loves the 'greatest generation.'

Last year, 200 teenagers in Goodreau's history classes hired a swing band, learned to jitterbug and dressed in World War II costumes to put on a 1940s-style dinner-dance at an airplane museum in Chino to help refurbish a B-17 Flying Fortress bomber.

Three years ago, 29 students went to Washington, D.C., to participate in the groundbreaking for the $100 million memorial to World War II veterans, where they carried American flags and sang ``God Bless America.''

Goodreau often invites World War II veterans to speak in her class, wanting her students to experience the history rather than read about it in a book or see it on a video.

``That era to me is so fascinating, what our country did during that time period and the sacrifice everyone had to make both on the battlefield and the homefront to defeat the fascist powers in Europe and Japan in the Pacific,'' said Goodreau, whose father-in-law was a ball turret gunner in a B-17. ``That time period is amazing. It was a defining moment for America in the 20th century.''

Listening to veterans recount their experiences, students learn that people not much older than they fought in the war, civilian soldiers who defeated the most powerful militaries in the world, Goodreau said.

``The kids see what their age group is capable of doing. What I focus on is not to glorify war. It's to help kids understand our country is built by people who give back to the country. Democracy is grounded in that. It's the whole idea of people working together, putting their lives on hold for the betterment of everyone else.''

The veterans connect with the younger generation, pointing to the students and saying, I did it for you, Goodreau said.

Goodreau, 38, teaches U.S history and a class combining American and aviation history to juniors. She has been a teacher for 15 years, the last seven at Lancaster High in the Antelope Valley Union High School District. The district last week named her 2003 Teacher of the Year.

Before that she taught in the Lancaster School District and at a Catholic high school in Playa del Rey.

She moved to the Antelope Valley in 1992 because she and her husband wanted to be able to buy a home in an area less crowded than El Segundo, where they had been living.

She received a bachelor's degree in political science from Loyola Marymount University and a master's in teaching with a special emphasis on social science from the university's graduate school.

``When I was in college, I knew I wanted a career that involved working closely with people and helping people,'' Goodreau said. ``I really enjoyed the teenager age. I think it's because they have so much going on at one time.

``It's an amazing time. They are not a child and not an adult and very impressionable. The opportunity to work with people at that phase of life, when they are still learning and preparing for the future and already quite mature in certain aspects, that was really a group I felt comfortable with,'' Goodreau said.

Her parents also were an influence. She said they were involved in helping youths while she was growing up. Her father has coached for more than 40 years and is now varsity softball coach at Redondo High School.

``I began to appreciate the impact he was having on students he was working with,'' Goodreau said.

Her mother, who worked as a dental assistant, helped her husband. ``He would coach, and she was the manager. I saw them over the years give a lot to kids. Kids would call the house. My parents were there for them,'' Goodreau said.

Goodreau says she finds her job very rewarding.

``I enjoy the possibilities. I enjoy the fact that every day is different,'' Goodreau said. ``I enjoy what is possible with these kids and being able to take each group and their different personalities and encourage them to go beyond where they perceive they can go. That's very exciting to me.''

Principal Bill Appleton said Goodreau is a very innovative teacher, involving her students in projects that make history come alive.

``She always tries to find alternative ways to teach kids outside the box so to speak,'' Appleton said. ``She demonstrates a passion for her profession and for her students.

``She definitely deserves that award, and we are very proud of her.''

Goodreau and her husband, Michael, will have been married 17 years in July. He works as a engineering technician for a consulting firm based in Bakersfield. The Goodreaus and their two children live in Palmdale.

Goodreau was given her award Tuesday night at a district employee recognition program.

``I'm very overwhelmed. I feel very grateful. I really feel what's been unique and special is that the kids have been very involved in the community and benefited from that,'' Goodreau said. ``They learned the value of giving back to the community.''

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Jamie Goodreau speaks to her U.S. history class at Lancaster High School.

Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer