Saturday, August 3, 1996
Name: Renee Kazue Adams
Position: Teacher, Kalama Intermediate School
Education: University of Hawaii-Manoa
Pastimes: Studying Hawaiian language
Once a college dropout who fought evictions in Kalama Valley in the early 1970s, Renee K. Adams is familiar with the idealism that helped shape Hawaiian activism. Bringing idealism to class
Adams, who later earned an education degree, now teaches students the importance of Hawaiian history and developing research skills and critical thinking.
"To me, teaching is the most important place to effect change in society. You've got to give people the tools to think," said Adams, a teacher at Kalama Intermediate School in Makawao, Maui.
Principal Stephen Yamada said Adams not only helps students, but also teachers who want to improve their knowledge about using computers to conduct research.
"She sacrifices a lot of her time for not only the kids, but for the school, too. She's an outstanding teacher," Yamada said.
Adams has been given a special award for excellence in teaching by the Hawaii Committee for the Humanities, the main sponsor of annual Hawaii History Day student competitions.
Her students acquire research skills and develop critical thinking by preparing projects for the competition. Every year, she takes students on a three-day research trip to Oahu to visit repositories of information, including the Bishop Museum, the state Bureau of Conveyances and the state archives.
"Students come out of the class actually liking history," Adams said.
Gary Kubota, Star-Bulletin
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