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Teacher celebrates 20 years at Delphi Academy

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Delphi Academy teacher Marianne Ditko recently entered her 20th year in teaching elementary school children at Delphi Academy. Judy Young of Delphi Academy interviewed Ditko on reaching this milestone.

Delphi Academy is a private college preparatory school for children and teens from pre-kindergarten through grade 12. It is located on a nine-acre campus in Lake View Terrace and serves children in Glendale and Burbank.

Judy: How do you feel about teaching elementary school children for 20 years?

Marianne: “I have worked at Delphi since 1992. I have loved every minute of it. I can’t imagine doing anything else in my life.”

Judy: Is there anything that inspired you in your early life that led to what you’re doing now?

Marianne: “When I was little I loved playing school and I always knew I wanted to grow up and have children of my own. Well, I did grow up, got married and have two beautiful daughters of my own who are now fully grown.

“I had a tough time in school from about the age of 10. There were things I didn’t understand. I just thought I wasn’t as smart as other people. I was not stupid, I just had study barriers and there were exact solutions for these. I didn’t want anyone else to go through what I did.

“In my time at Delphi, I have helped countless numbers of children really learn through the use of the study technology we teach here. I have helped them enjoy their schooling, not hate it. It totally makes my day when I see the “light bulb go on” and I have helped a child learn something they were having difficulty with.”

Judy: Do you just teach “The Three ‘Rs’” — reading, writing and arithmetic, or do you teach more than that?

Marianne: “I always take the time to teach things about life as well as the academics I teach in school. Sometimes these lessons are the most valuable, these being moral codes, ethics, leadership and others. Children are so often misunderstood. People think they are a different breed of human but they are actually men and women in smaller bodies. I recognize this thoroughly and treat them with the respect they need and deserve.”

Judy: Are there any ‘perks’ related to teaching you can share with us?

Marianne: “There is nothing like being out in a store and seeing one of my students and having them rush up to me with an enthusiastic “hello!” and a hug. Those hugs and smiles are the biggest reward for me. I also love seeing the students I used to have in my first-grade class all grown up with children of their own. I love bumping into them out in the world and we exchange ideas and what we’re up to. I know I had a part to play in their lives and their adult success.”

Judy: Is there anything else you’d like to mention?

Marianne: “I think I was given a gift of being able to work with children. They are so loving and special and so fun to be with. I feel I also have a gift of the ability to understand them as well. I am lucky to be doing what I love every day and being able to shape the future of this planet by caring for the children in it. I know that I can make a difference in a child’s life. I feel privileged to have the opportunity to work at Delphi and impact their lives for the better. Children truly are our future and how we treat them and care for them now determines how the future will be for them and for us. It is truly rewarding to know that I’ve made a difference in a child’s life.”

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