Friday, January 17, 2025
When Julia Chodash walked into Elaine Eckers’s kindergarten classroom in 2021 as a student teacher, she was stepping into a class filled with Disney-themed decorations and decades of educational experience. Neither woman could have predicted that their bond would grow into a dynamic teaching partnership, embodying this year’s school district theme, “Teamwork Makes the Dream Work.”
Eckers, 74, is a longtime educator in Oceanside. She began her career at age 37, balancing her role as a preschool teacher while raising her own children. A graduate of Brooklyn College, Eckers always knew she was destined to teach, and when she retired two and a half years ago, she couldn’t stay away.
“It’s a calling,” she said. “I love the kids too much.”
Her return to teaching led to a role in Oceanside’s universal pre-K program at School Six — and a reconnection with Chodash. Chodash, now 25, had always dreamed of becoming a teacher.
“Every time someone asked me what I wanted to be, the answer was always the same: teacher,” she recalled.
After graduating from Marist College, Chodash, who grew up in Oceanside, sought a student teaching opportunity at the height of the coronavirus pandemic. Many educators hesitant to accept student teachers because of safety concerns, Eckers was one of the few who did.
“Nobody wanted a student teacher because we couldn’t ask, ‘Are you vaccinated?’” Eckers explained. “It was a weird time. But I thought, why not?”
Despite the challenges of teaching kindergartners separated by cubicles, Chodash thrived under Eckers’s mentorship. “She definitely was my mentor for those years,” Chodash said “She’s a great mentor, and it really has come full circle. When I student-taught, I knew I wanted to one day be the teacher, and have her by my side to learn from her as well.”
Even after her student teaching ended, Chodash returned during school breaks to volunteer in Eckers’ classroom. The two often met for coffee at the Café at the Sands Shopping Center to catch up.
“I loved being there so much,” Chodash said. “I’d help with stories, spend the afternoon, or even the whole day. We never lost touch. I always knew I wanted to teach, and I fell in love with teaching, but I fell in love with it all over again when I saw the students and I saw Mrs. Eckers in me when I was teaching.”
When Oceanside’s pre-K program expanded, Chodash applied for a position, and initially worked as a permanent substitute. In December 2022, when the lead teacher left mid-year, Eckers advocated for Chodash to take over.
“I spoke to the principal and begged for her,” Eckers said.
Chodash stepped into the role seamlessly, and by the fall of 2023, the pair were officially co-teaching, with their initial roles reveresed.
Their classroom is a harmonious blend of their passions. “She loves to sing and read stories, and I love teaching the subjects,” Chodash said. “We complement each other perfectly.”
Eckers, who plays piano for the holidays, credits Chodash’s energy and dedication.
“She’s like me on steroids,” Eckers said with a laugh. Their bond is so strong that people often mistake them for family. “Is this your granddaughter?” parents and colleagues often ask Eckers.
The classroom faced challenges when a previous teacher left unexpectedly, causing some parent dissatisfaction. Chodash stepped in and quickly earned the trust of students and parents.
Eckers cited the growing complexity of technology as a factor in her initial decision to retire, but she continues to adapt. Reflecting on her decision to return to the classroom, she shared advice she once received from a substitute principal: “Sometimes it’s important to step aside and let the younger generation come in.”
That sentiment resonates deeply with Eckers, who sees in Chodash a continuation of her legacy. “When I left, I knew I was passing the torch to someone truly special,” she said. For Chodash, working alongside her mentor is a dream come true.
As Eckers looks back on nearly four decades in education, she is filled with gratitude that she and Chodash can shape the lives of Oceanside’s youngest learners. And for Chodash, the journey has only just begun.
“I used to joke, ‘When you retire, I’ll take over, and we’ll reverse roles.’ And now here we are,” she said. “I went to Oceanside, and I grew up here, and I just wanted to give back to my community, and I knew the minute that I student-taught that I wanted to be here. I’m very lucky to be working with a lifelong Oceansider.”
