Academic, emotional, and social issues abound for children who are poor readers. Children who are behind their peers in reading can struggle with low self-esteem and feelings of inadequacy. This can be magnified at the middle school level where students are developing their mindsets and making comparisons of themselves to others.
S. C. Lee Junior High first-year reading/language arts teacher Lydia Burse has not lost sight of her mission despite the challenges the COVID-19 pandemic has posed, said principal Brian Jost.
âThe best thing about Lydia is that she exemplifies hard work to the students. She communicates to them a sense of pride in their learning,â Jost said. âShe has impressed me by her ability to juggle all the areas of teaching as new teacher.â
COVID-19 changed much in the world. But for S. C. Lee Junior High seventh grade teacher, Pamela Knutson, her professional life as an educator changed dramatically. Having taught in a traditional classroom for more than a decade, Knutson trained and became a virtual instructor for students receiving their lessons through at-home learning.
Knutson also serves as the schoolâs student council advisor. With some students learning from home and others learning on campus, it is a challenge to gather the student leaders together to perform community service activities.
âAs the student council sponsor, Mrs. Knutson provides opportunities for the students to volunteer,â Principal Brian Jost said. âMiraculously, she planned and coordinated a food drive on our campus for Food for Families. Because of COVID-19, this was a challenge. But, she devised a way to collect can goods, weigh the goods, deliver the canned goods and non- perishable items and select a winner from our ca