After positively impacting students for years in the elementary, Williamson and Bly find new homes
by Adi Fink, GHS Blue Ink, and Carrie Moritz, Gazette
This year's third grade teachers are on their last year of teaching elementary school. Next year, Angela Bly and Amber Williamson will begin teaching middle schoolers here in Garretson, taking on the challenge of teaching older students. Bly will be replacing English teacher Kari Stoltenberg, and Williamson will be taking the position currently occupied by science teacher Julie Mueller.
Both Stoltenberg and Mueller will be retiring at the end of the school year after teaching 40 years and 26 years, respectively, at the Garretson School District.
Bly and Williamson have been team-teaching the third grade for several years now, integrating their content, lessons, and presentations. They will be bringing that collaboration and energy to the middle school.
When asked what they were most excited about, Bly responded that she was ready for the challenge, and Williamson said the change would be refreshing. She was excited to work with a different age group.
The biggest change for the both of them will be the new curriculum, teaching one subject all day with different groups of students rather than different subjects with one group.
The idea to move up to the middle school was Williamson's.
"It wasn't even on my radar," said Bly. "I wasn’t even thinking about making a change, but Ms. Williamson just brought up the idea of how much fun it would be so I just kept an open mind about it. I went up to Mrs. Stoltenberg['s room] a couple times and observed her teaching and I just got excited about it.”
“I have taught middle school once before and I liked the enthusiasm in the age group of the kids and I feel like I love third grade too," said Williamson. "I like change and I like trying something new and challenging.”
It is likely that nearly all of Bly and Williamson's past students will be excited to have them as a teacher again, though both teachers say they will miss the elementary. Bly, for instance, has been in her room for quite some time.
“We work with a great group of staff down here but that’s kind of the blessing about being in a K-12 school, even though we won’t be in elementary school anymore, I'll still be in the same building," said Williamson. "I am also excited to work with the middle school and high school staff.”
Neither of the teachers would have made the move without the other. They both applied for the positions and hoped they'd get them, and intend to continue with the theme of team teaching.
"I really like teaching with Angie," said Williamson. "I feel like we work really well together and thought this was a great opportunity with science and language arts. We would do some cross-curricular things and would do it together as we did in 3rd grade.”
Teaching one subject will be the largest difference, but one they're looking forward to.
“I can just focus on one subject and I’m just going have to be more creative, varying the different activities,” said Bly. “I have looped before to like 2nd or 3rd several times and 3rd to 4th and it’ll kind of be similar to looping to have those same kids year after year after year and then you can pull off the concepts we learned the year before.”
"It’s one subject but three different levels of one subject," said Williamson. "It's not like I teach the same lesson all day long. It's 6th, 7th and 8th so even though it’s the same subject, the content will be a little bit different. I also think it will make me invest a little bit more in science."
When asked if they would have to be stricter because of the older student population, both Bly and Williamson stressed their current relationships with the students.
Williamson pointed out, "To be completely honest, I feel like kids are kids. If you respect them, are kind to them, and show them that you care; they will be willing to learn from you.”
“We’ve had these kids before so I feel like we already have that relationship with them and that connection," added Bly. "Plus, they are a few more years mature. I don’t think I’m going to have to be stricter it’s just going to be different.”
When it comes to technology, the teachers believe the strategies for iPad use won't change too much from third grade to middle school.
According to Williamson, “In third grade, they’re already one-to-one so students already have them, they just put them in the cart but don’t take them home. Since they can take them home that’ll give us more opportunities to give them homework online.”
The real question is if they feel ready to fill the shoes of Mueller and Stoltenberg, who have left a long legacy.
“I don’t feel that I will be filling Mrs. Mueller's shoes," said Williamson. "I would just like to walk beside them or behind them for a little while. We both plan on using them as resources for questions that arise and that come up.”
“I agree with Miss Williamson," responded Bly. "I’m not trying fill someone’s shoes; I’m just trying to pick up where she left off and hopefully, I can do what she’s been doing the last 40 years some justice and have some fun along the way.”
Overall, these teachers are excited to become middle school teachers. We are wishing them the best of luck for this upcoming year.
