Hello, My Name is _______________: Jaimie

We are currently introducing ourselves via narrative writing inspired by a 1999 Ann Landers column. For more information, visit this post: Hello, My Name is _______________.

Young Woman Puts a New Spin on Things

      

A very peculiar thing has happened. A young, inexperienced woman has taken on a huge leadership role in my building.  I have no idea what she is thinking, how she got hired, or if she even knows what she’s doing for that matter.  All I know is that she has a lot to learn.

In the five years that she has been teaching, I do know her as a hard worker who is very passionate about anything that she does. She works hard to get her job done and is always looking for ways to be better at what she does.  Others would describe her as having a positive, charismatic personality, a desire to collaborate and seek out new learning opportunities, and as having a love and devotion to her profession. However, being a young teacher, I know she lacks experience and confidence.  She is somewhat afraid of making mistakes, wants to be a rule-follower, is concerned about what others think, and tends to take on more than she can handle at times. I wonder how she thinks, after only five years of teaching, that she can lead an elementary school of veteran teachers in the area of literacy.

I do know that after three years of teaching, her sincere desire to learn, led her to pursue a Master’s Degree in Literacy Education.  Through this program, the knowledge about literacy came.  Everything she learned was applicable to her current teaching position as a first grade teacher and she was able to authentically utilize most things she learned about literacy development and best practices. She was happy with what she learned about literacy and felt like it made her a much better teacher.  She assumed being a classroom teacher was her destiny and that was where she belonged. She had never pictured herself anywhere else, especially not in a leadership role. So what sparked her interest in applying for a Literacy Coaching position? Did she have the credentials?  Was she, again, taking on more than she could handle?  That was for time to tell.

The first two years of her position as a literacy coach flew by, with new district initiatives, coaching trainings, and on the job training.  I’m sure it was a whirlwind.  As year two started to wind down, I had some time to reflect with her.  I realized that she may not have known everything, may not have had years of experience, but she had a willingness and a desire.  She learned through time and process that challenges, change, and discomfort are what help us grow.  She understands that learning is a process and we certainly cannot do it alone. Every person has something to bring to the table and we can all learn from each other.  Collaboration has been the key to her survival and the center of her work.  She has learned that having the flexibility to listen, be patient, try new things, and learn from her mistakes push her to be better at what she does.  I know she has learned a lot over the past few years and I welcome her newfound confidence.

Biography

Jaimie Howe is in her third year as a Literacy Coach at Roosevelt Elementary School in the Eau Claire Area School District.   She has taught four-year old kindergarten, kindergarten and first grade. All of which have been in Eau Claire at Roosevelt Elementary. She received her bachelor’s degree from UW-Stout in Menomonie, WI and her Master’s Degree in Literacy Education from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota.  She lives in Menomonie, WI with her husband and two young boys.  When Jaimie is not taking on new learning opportunities, she enjoys running, scrapbooking, watching her husband’s many softball tournaments, and reading to her two boys.