4 minute read
Reaching Her Students
ONE OF THE MANY CHALLENGES OF TEACHING is growing to know each student’s personality and learning preferences. With upwards of 30 students in a class, a teacher has a lot to remember and manage.
Donna Patrick loved this part of her job teaching first graders, and when she later became principal, knowing the names and personalities of hundreds of students was a point of pride for her.
She started her first job just three days after graduating from Shippensburg State College (now Shippensburg University) with her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. She taught first graders at Lickdale Elementary, which was located near the Fort Indiantown Gap National Guard Training Center. When several refugees from Vietnam ended up in the school district, she had her first student who didn’t speak English. She worked with other teachers to figure out the best approach to help the young girl, including cutting out pictures with labels and asking her other students to assist.
“It was one of my more challenging accomplishments,” Donna recalls. “In the classroom, especially in first grade, seeing any student in September not being able to read the printed word and then leaving as a reader in June is a highlight for any early education leader.” After four years, she moved onto Derry Township School District and continued to teach first grade.
“Every day was unique,” Donna said. “You had no idea what was going to happen. You could have a plan, but then you’d have a child who needed extra attention because of something that happened at home the night before. The ability to be flexible was important. With 25-30 students in a classroom, it’s a challenge for teachers to service the needs of all students.”
Educating her students and herself were equally important to Donna. Throughout her career, she took continuing education and additional graduate level classes. During summers, she attended workshops. She eventually earned a supervisor of elementary education certificate from Millersville University and a principal certification from Temple University.
In January 1991, just as Donna had finished her coursework at Temple, Derry Township School District had an opening for a principal of third, fourth and fifth grades. She was the first classroom teacher who was promoted to a leadership role.
“The challenge was always to make sure students and staff were safe and secure,” she said, “and that all students were making progress. I tried to provide constructive feedback so all of us could grow to
meet the needs of our students. We all worked hard for success.”
Donna was fortunate many families in her school district valued education and were supportive of efforts to ensure students were well-rounded and advanced every year. She was reminded of this whenever she ran into former students and their parents and they’d thank her and her faculty for what they did.
“One of my goals was attempting – despite it being a large building with upwards of 750 kids – to know the names of all the children who were entrusted to us,” she said. “I couldn’t name them all, but I made a valiant attempt.”
Another effort Donna made to connect with students was hosting a weekly lunch. She invited a child from each homeroom to meet in her office, and they’d sit around a table and talk about what they liked to do outside of school, books they read, their interests and whatever else came to mind.
Donna retired in 2005. With 14 years as principal; 20 years in the classroom; and a year and a half as a curriculum coordinator, mentor for new hires and peer coach, she had met a lot of faculty, students and parents. She often sees them in the community and has even met several parents of students at Masonic Village at Elizabethtown, where she and her husband, Ken, have lived since 2012.
“I look back with fondness,” she said. “I enjoyed what I did, and that each day was unique. It kept you thinking and being creative. All children learn, but they learn differently and at different rates. I’m glad I spent time in the classroom before becoming principal. It gave me a better foundation to guide students,
families and faculty. I could relate and commiserate and be a role model.”
For Donna and Ken, Masonic Village is the perfect place to continue being active, while having less to worry about in terms of home maintenance or future needs. They keep busy with pickle ball, ballroom dancing, teaching line dancing and traveling.
“It’s carefree living,” Donna said. “I have wonderful neighbors. Security is always around. I’m enjoying retirement and life at Masonic Village.”
Donna may never learn the names of all 2,000+ residents at Masonic Village, but she has no shortage of friends to eat lunch with. While they may call her Donna, to many in the community, she will always be known as Mrs. Patrick.
