Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, August 24, 1995 TAG: 9508250029
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: S-10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY WALKER SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Well, not exactly, according to interviews with several Roanoke Valley public school teachers. While they do enjoy unwinding from classroom stress, many also spend considerable time furthering their professional growth, caring for their children and preparing for next year.
Here's how some Roanoke Valley teachers spent their summer vacation:
Marylen Harmon, a social studies and language arts teacher at Northside Middle School, continued her second career as a globetrotting ambassador for the city of Roanoke.
When interviewed in late July, Harmon was planning to go with five others, including Mayor David Bowers, to set up a new sister-city program in Florianopolis, Brazil. Roanoke's other sister cities are Wonju, South Korea; Kisumu, Kenya; and Psokov, Russia.
Harmon, who has been with the sister-city program for about 15 years, travels every summer if possible. This year, she visited Barbados, Martinique, Curacao, Aruba and Dominica on a college alumni cruise.
"I look at my social studies book and try go to some of the locations in the book. I try to bring back items so my students can have a hands-on approach to learning."
Harmon also likes to give her students an international perspective. "I try to instill that in my students, I try to teach multiethnic and global. I guess that's why I love social studies."
Wanda Reynolds stayed closer to home. "I have two children and it's nice being able to spend a lot of time with them," said Reynolds, who teaches math 7 and 8 and pre-algebra at Craig County High School.
Reynolds took Lucy, 9, and Janet, 5, to see "Pocahontas," play miniature golf and frolic at the Discovery Zone. They also went bowling, swimming and picnicking.
With her husband, Frank, Reynolds raised corn and cucumbers, made pickles, and canned beans and tomatoes. Sometimes, they just sat on the porch of their Craig County home, where it's five to 10 degrees cooler than it is in Roanoke.
She also taught Bible school at White House Baptist Church in New Castle.
To maintain her teaching certification, she took a statistics class at Virginia Western Community College. "It was hard, but I really liked it," she said.
Judy Fisher of South Salem Elementary had her hands full with three boys: Chris, 6; Will, 4; and Chad, 9 months.
"I've enjoyed it," she said. "We went to the pool every day. Kid stuff, either go to the pool or the park - something outside."
In her spare time, Fisher did some reading to prepare for her new assignment. She will teach third grade after having previously taught first grade.
Cathy Wilkinson learned how to build a landfill.
A fourth-grade science teacher at Herman L. Horn Elementary in Vinton, Wilkinson participated in a Roanoke County program called Educators in the Workplace. "They place educators in businesses that have something to do with their field of study in the classroom," Wilkinson said. "I wanted to learn something about recycling."
Wilkinson spent two days at Waste Management of Virginia-Blue Ridge in Salem. She saw videos on recycling, then went to Cycle Systems to view the recycling of glass, cans and paper. She also learned how to build a mini landfill for a class project.
The yearlong project starts with a large clear plastic container about the size of a garbage can. Students then add layers of dirt, clay, plastic, a cotton blanket, sand and various types of trash.
At the end of the year, the students will dismantle the landfill to see if the garbage has decomposed and whether it has seeped down into the lower layers.
The project is conducted outside, preferably.
Laura Turner also participated in the Educators in the Workplace program.
A child-care teacher at the Roanoke County Career Center in Vinton, Turner spent two days at Honeytree Early Learning Center at Lewis-Gale Hospital. She worked as a teacher's helper, caring for children age 31/2 to 51/2.
"You're responsible for a lot of children for a long time," she said. "There is no planning period. These people work straight through. They have to clean their own floors, pick up the bathrooms. The need for the sanitation practices is tremendous, with all the kids being potty trained and going to the bathroom themselves.
"You're teaching them the rules of life, all their social skills. It's real hard work. Day care should be a very respected field to be in. You're trusting these people to take care of your children all day."
Turner, who has a 3-year-old and a l-year-old, had observed but never worked in a child-care center before.
"It's much more rigorous that what I had thought - that's something I can impress on my students."
Sara Braaten of Fishburn Park Elementary decided to sharpen her photography skills. She took a class in studio photography at Hollins College, where she is pursuing a master's degree in liberal arts.
"I've taken pictures forever, but I'm still a rank amateur," said Braaten, who teaches academically talented students in grades three, four and five in the PLATO program (Pupils Learning Appropriately Together).
Braaten also went to Washington, D.C., for Independence Day, and was planning to escape the August heat by visiting Maine with her daughter and sister.
Pat Jasper of Buchanan Elementary School said summer is not one long vacation for teachers.
"That's a mistaken idea. We don't have the summer off per se, we don't sit in front of the TV with our feet up eating bon-bons. It's a time to rejuvenate and get ready for next year."
Jasper caught up with housework, scheduled doctor and dentist appointments and read professional journals. "Summertime is the only time you have to relax over these [journals] and catch up with new things," said Jasper, who teaches fifth- and sixth-grade science.
Other school-related activities included meeting with other fifth- and sixth-grade teachers, reviewing last year's curriculum and planning next year's, and attending a leadership conference. She also attended the National Education Association convention in Minneapolis, where she represented the Botetourt Education Association.
"Teaching is a year-round job," she said.
Martha Bane, a kindergarten teacher at South Salem Elementary, was involved in a four-week summer school program. "I was with the children going into first grade, the ones that might need a little extra so their start into the next grade might be a little more positive."
She also met with some of the incoming kindergartners. "You meet with each child, hoping to set their mind at ease," she said.
She volunteered at Mill Mountain Zoo, an experience she hopes will enrich her teaching about wildlife and animals.
In addition, she attended a workshop to learn more about the Salem school system as a whole, read school-related materials and planned for next year.
"Kindergarten teachers do a lot of making hands-on activities," she said.
But her summer activities weren't all work-related. She went to the beach, visited her family and took her daughter, Katie, to orientation at James Madison University.
Summer "gives you time to catch your breath," she said. Nevertheless, she won't be sad when it's over.
"I do look forward to going back," she said. "I enjoy the children."
by CNB