Feb 29, 2024
Dr.
Christopher Lewis [00:00:19]:
Welcome back to the Hornet Hive. I'm your host, doctor Christopher
Lewis, one of the members of the Williamson Community Schools Board
of Education. Really excited to have you back again this week.
Every week, I love being able to sit down with you to talk to you
about the amazing things that are happening within our schools
because there are so many things that are happening. And whether
you have kids in the district or not, there are things that you
need to know about and just stay on top of because of the fact that
It's happening in our community and it's impacting many families,
but it's also impacting all of the kids going through our schools.
So I love being able to sit down and talk with you every week to be
able to bring you up to speed, to allow you to enter our schools
even if you don't have kids in the district or if you have kids in
the district, but they might not be at the same education level
that Of the guests that we're having on the show or about the
topics that we're talking about. Because like I said, lots of
things happening at all levels of education, and it's important to
keep you in the know in that re regard. Every week, I also love
being able to have opportunities to bring people on because there's
so many people behind the scenes, people that you have met, people
that you have not met, that you've never gotten to know or that you
might know very well.
Dr.
Christopher Lewis [00:01:33]:
And it's important again To open the door and allow for you to get
to know the staff that are working with our students on a daily
basis. And today, we've got 2 great guests with us. I'm really
excited to have 2 of our 3rd grade teachers from Explorer
Elementary with us today. Sarah Long and Libby Merrill are with us,
And really excited to have both of them here to talk about their
experiences as 3rd grade teachers and to allow for you to get to
know them a little bit better. Sarah, Libby, thanks so much for
being here today.
Sarah Long:
[00:02:01]:
Thanks for having us. Yeah.
Dr.
Christopher Lewis [00:02:03]:
It is my pleasure having both of you here today. I'm really excited
to be able For people to get to know you better, and one of the
first things that I love doing is turning the clock back. Both of
you have been in the district for a little bit of time, and I want
you to go back and tell us what initially brought you to
Williamson.
Libbey Merrell
[00:02:20]:
So going back 6 years From this year, I was going into my student
teaching and I went to Alma College and they kind of gave us the
option to search around for a district that we, you know, would
like to student teach in. I grew up down the road in Mason and so
thinking of things that were close to home, but, you know,
something new Brought me to find Williamston, so I reached out and
I was super fortunate to land a student teaching position with
Christina Foley, who was also teaching 3rd grade at the Time. So
3rd grade quickly captured my heart. I had such a great student
teaching experience with her. And so when a couple of retirees Left
the district the following year. I applied and I was super
fortunate to land a job also in 3rd grade. So that's what brought
me here, And I've loved it ever since.
Sarah Long:
[00:03:07]:
And my story a little different, so I actually grew up in
Williamston and so I went to Central did my student teaching closer
to central and as, you know, I was just looking for job postings.
Of course, I kept my eye on Williamston. I love growing up here.
Would love To the possibility to have a job here and there was all
sorts of openings back in 2019 when I was applying and same year as
Libby, I Got one of those retirees who left from 3rd grade and got
that position and have loved being here ever since.
Dr.
Christopher Lewis [00:03:40]:
So both of you are in 3rd grade. As, Libby said, you came to love
3rd grade. But talk to me about 3rd grade. What is it about 3rd
grade that you both Love.
Libbey Merrell
[00:03:50]:
I would say, 3rd grade is when they come from discovery to the new
building. It's a brand new routine for them, a new school for them,
and I really think that it's a huge transition that the students go
through in 3rd grade from those little kids to now they're in the
upper elementary school. We kind of, You know, try to frame them as
role models for the younger students when they get to 3rd grade and
so I just think it's a huge transition year and you really see them
kind of Blossom and develop into the students who they are. So
that's what I love the most.
Sarah Long:
[00:04:24]:
Yeah. I feel like very similar For me too, I feel like there is
just huge growth. I bet, you know, from my student teaching,
preschool teaching saw some other grade levels and just Where they
started beginning of 3rd grade to the end, I just feel like it's
such a huge year of growth for the students. And so just watching
them and And but we still love like, they're still they're still
kids at heart. Right? And so they get to bring that energy with
them every day that Makes the job very rewarding.
Libbey Merrell
[00:04:50]:
Yeah. They still love to learn Yes. At this stage, which is so
fun.
Dr.
Christopher Lewis [00:04:53]:
So both of you started right before COVID, And you survived the big
transition going from being in person to going online, And then
having that pretty much full year of online and then transitioning
back. So really your 1st 3 years were very chaotic. Talk to me
about that and now what teaching is like in 3rd grade after the
COVID nineteen pandemic.
Sarah Long:
[00:05:24]:
Well, I can definitely say that had it not been for, like, our 3rd
grade team, I don't know how We would have all made it through
those, like, pandemic years. Mhmm. I know actually, like, when that
all started, like, towards the end of our very first Here, me and
Libby decided to pursue a master's in learning design and
technology, which also that we stayed on as the virtual teachers.
So again, We really are thankful for that program because that also
prepared us. But then as far as, like, returning back to normal. I
know for me, it was so thankful to be back in person back to, like,
what was, like, normal. And I felt like that was really when our
Team, we still knew our team well, but that really felt like we got
to know and want each other and kind of figuring out now that we're
post pandemic, we gonna kinda maybe revamp things or integrate some
of those learning we did during the pandemic to also continue our
teaching moving forward? So that was, like, a nice piece coming
back together and taken, hey. What did you do virtually? What did
you do? Let's see how we can integrate that with our curriculum,
what we're already doing.
Sarah Long:
[00:06:28]:
And, overall, I feel like our team were We've got a system. We work
together well, and I think that it's been really good. We have our
normal curriculum and then that gave us that technology piece that
we get to integrate still.
Libbey Merrell
[00:06:41]:
Yeah. It was an insane 1st couple years because 1st year was when
the pandemic started. Our 2nd year, as Sarah said, Was all virtual
until that 3rd year of teaching really felt like year 1 for us
again because we that was the 1st full year in person that we
finally got a full year in teaching and the students were just
coming back from all different experiences that experiences that
they had during the pandemic. So that year was kind of rocky and it
took, You know, like Sarah said, our whole team coming together and
really taking all of our experiences from virtual teaching to those
in person cohorts and just Kind of having to work together to see
like, okay, how can we meet our students where they're at?
Obviously some are behind, they have different learning experiences
than others. Some are bounds ahead because they had, you know, so
much support at home or this or that and so It definitely took a
year or 2 to get into the groove again, but I'd say, you know, now
that this is our 3rd year back in person, yeah, Things are kind of
in the groove now, which is really nice.
Dr.
Christopher Lewis [00:07:41]:
And how do you find that teaching and learning now is different
than it was prior to the pandemic.
Sarah Long:
[00:07:48]:
Well, this is always a tricky question as we only knew what school
was like Pre pandemic for a very short period of time. I would just
say the big thing that stands out to me is just the emphasis on
technology. I feel wasn't Necessarily. Not that it wasn't there,
but you can just tell, like, after virtual learning and the
pandemic. I just feel like can tell that people are being a lot
more intentional with, like, how they're using technology and the
ways that they're using it within school, which That's, like, one
thing that I would definitely say has changed from, like, when I
started to now. Yeah. And I
Libbey Merrell
[00:08:24]:
would say the technology piece is big and then Social emotional
learning has, I think, taken a big shift because I think that with
those few years that some students weren't in a classroom, it took
a while to get kids Back to remembering, oh, yeah. I'm not the only
one in this room. There's not just me and 1 adult like there may
have been at home. There are 25, 26 other students I need to share
this space with, I need to share speaking time with, I need to be
empathetic towards, like, So just that piece of, like, shifting
from whatever your experience was at COVID, whether it was a
smaller in person cohort in school or Just at home with a small
group of learners to oh, yeah. This is back with a full classroom
of students. How do we, like, navigate that and Create a community
in the classroom that can flow. So that's been a a shift. But,
again, I think now that we're in the groove of it, I think students
are doing a great job.
Dr.
Christopher Lewis [00:09:21]:
Now both of you have been in the district for 6 years. As you think
back to your experiences, And you've talked a little bit about this
already, but there are different things that sustain you on a daily
basis, on an an on a yearly basis, things that make you want to
Continue in the work that you do from year to year. What would you
say has sustained you over the years in the district, and what
makes Williams in a great place to work.
Sarah Long:
[00:09:46]:
Again, I definitely think the community is a great benefit of
Williamson, like, not just, like, Of course, Williamson Community
itself, but, like, within our building, I feel that I mean, not
just in my 3rd grade team, but I feel like there are Colleagues
and, like, staff all throughout the building that if I needed
anything, they'd be there like that or, you know, those days where
You're feeling a little defeated or it was just, like, one of those
tough days. I know that there's about anybody in this building that
I could reach out to and say, hey. I'm having a tough time or hey.
I need help or Have you been through this? Like, what how did you
do to handle this? So, I mean, definitely just the community and,
like, the staff here, just knowing that I have a support system
Definitely makes a huge difference in just the sustainability.
Libbey Merrell
[00:10:33]:
Yeah, I would say the same thing. I totally love this staff and
like Sarah said, We all really have each other's backs. You know,
there are gonna be days where you're more tired or you feel
defeated like she said, where you just You need, you know, someone
to be there for you. So I feel like just the staff here is amazing.
Community is amazing. The students and the families That we work
with year after year have just been phenomenal.
Dr.
Christopher Lewis [00:10:58]:
Now every teacher that I talk to, you're storytellers. You have
many stories, Both positive and negative of things that happen in
the classroom, things that happen in the school, things that you
take home with you and you just leave at home, things that You talk
amongst other colleagues and friends and things that you just hold
internally that, again, sustains you in many different ways. Can
both of you share with me a story that for you epitomizes the
experience that you've had as a Williamston staff member?
Libbey Merrell
[00:11:29]:
I would Say something that just sustains me year after year and
something that just will always continue to warm my heart is being
able to See students as they grow, you know, I coach and I teach
and so when I'm coaching middle school and I get those students
that I've also had in class Come back and feel so excited to work
with me on the team. It just it warms my heart. It makes me so
happy to know that They remember me and now they want to be on the
team or this or that. And the same thing, you know, seeing students
just go out of their way to come back and family members go out of
their way to come back and just Say hey, you know, thanks for
everything after all these years. I can't think of one specific
story or example but I know that has happened more than once and it
really just, It means the world to hear that.
Sarah Long:
[00:12:14]:
Yes, I would agree. And I feel like I hope this is answering the
question you were asking, Chris, but like one thing that This
sticks out. This is just like one memory from this year, but like
I'm thinking when we had our assembly and they were calling
students up and I mean, just watching the kids engagement and
assembly, like some of my students, like former students, my
current students, and just watching their energy and like The joy
and I remember just watching some of the kids being absolute
goofballs in the best way. And I remember, like, almost said to it
was a Libby. I was like, I am, like, crying laughing and I just was
and I said the words to her. I said this the is these are days
where I'm like, ah, yes. This is why we do this job, like, look at
the joy, look at the energy, like, look at how much fun we're
having and it's just a normal Friday afternoon. So Again, that's
just a more recent one, but those little days like that where you
just watch the kids come together and you watch that community and
just the joy and the love they have for each other in the school
and That just makes my day.
Dr.
Christopher Lewis [00:13:10]:
Well, Sarah, well, Libby, I just wanna say thank you. Thank you for
what you do to be able To not only welcome those 3rd graders up to
Explore, but work with them, help them to move forward Through
Explore into middle school and beyond, and to give them those tools
that they need to be able to be successful as they Continue on with
their education, and I wish you both all the best.
Sarah Long:
[00:13:34]
Thank you so much, Chris. Yes. Thank you,