Back to School with Karen Harada

Photo by Jack Kiyonaga

As the school year gets going on Molokai, students return to their classes, teachers to their classrooms, parents to their morning routines. For one teacher in particular, the back-to-school ritual is most familiar. As 12th grade English teacher Karen Harada celebrates her 40th year at Molokai High School (MHS), she looks back on four decades of Molokai students, teachers and parents, and forward to the year ahead.

A graduate of the class of 1972 from MHS, Harada left Molokai for 13 years before coming back as an educator. After college in Colorado and various jobs on Oahu, Harada decided to use her writing skills in the education field.

“Teaching was never a life goal when I was younger,” said Harada. “When I came back to Molokai, I wasn’t sure how long I would stay here. I never knew it would be this long.”

Harada returned to MHS in 1984 and started teaching senior English along with eighth grade English and eighth grade Health.

“I flew by the seat of my pants. I was winging it for the year,” she explained. “I had days where I just put my head down on the desk. I still have some of those days, but not as many.”

Harada explained that having role models at the school like Marie Yamashita and Jenny Kaupu, helped her push through those early years.

“I’m stubborn,” Harada said. “I’m from here and I said these kids are not going to beat me.”

Harada’s English class is notoriously challenging — not just because of its focus on writing, but also its emphasis on public speaking.

“If you learn nothing else from me, you will leave knowing that you have certain skills…you’ll know that you have to come on time, you have to do the work, you have to listen,” she said.

One of the most gratifying aspects of teaching, explained Harada, is when alumni come back and tell her that she’s helped them in their careers. Now, Harada is teaching the kids and sometimes grandchildren of her former students. These intergenerational connections are paramount for her.

“It’s what makes Molokai, Molokai: all those connections between the people,” she said. “When they graduate and they come back, they see me outside and they tell me that I helped them. And now I can tell them that I have their kids in my class.”

In the 40 years since embarking on her MHS career, Harada explained that the biggest difference in students is largely due to changes in technology.

“We have all this technology, which is convenient,” but, she explained, can get in the way of basic principles of listening and following rules. However, the core ethics of Molokai students have remained largely unchanged.

“They do have good intentions a lot of the time,” she admitted. Above all else, the students “will protect each other no matter what…and they do the best they can.”

As the first weeks of the school year roll by, Harada advised teachers to take it slow.

“You don’t need to do everything at once,” she said. “Just start with what you need to know right now.”

For parents, Harada encouraged flexibility and patience.

“Keep an open mind,” she said. “Teachers are learning just like the kids are. We are not perfect either…We will be patient with you if you are patient with us.” And to remember that “the kids are the priority.”

Lastly, for students, Harada offered the advice of getting to know your teachers as soon as possible.

“Learn what your teachers want from you, and then do that,” she said. “It’ll be easier for everybody.”

After 40 years, Harada is still looking forward to the challenges of a new school year.

“We have a big senior class,” she said. “I’m excited to see how this senior class does.”