Kate Linnehan always knew she wanted a job in education since kindergarten.
By KRYSTAL NURSE
The Sun
Educator of the Year at Pleasant Valley School and reading specialist Kate Linnehan, who used to teach first-grade at Harrison Township Elementary School, uses literature to help her students find a passion for books.
Although she wasn’t meeting with students at the time, Linnehan said being presented with the distinction by the administration with her intervention team in the room was special for her. The team, she clarified, helped her transition from HTES to PVS be as smooth as possible several years ago.
Linnehan added she always wanted to be a teacher growing up and played “school” often with her friends. When she was in kindergarten, she said she had a bear that paired with a classroom bulletin board saying “I’m ‘beary’ special because…” and her bear had her portrait stating “I want to be a teacher.”
“I was just really lucky to have a lot of teachers that had a positive impact on me growing up,” said Linnehan. “That kind of shaped my idea of the importance of that role.”
During a first-grade lesson at HTES, Linnehan recalled having her students photographing something they were thankful for or what made them happy. Students, she said, brought in photos of their pets, homes, games and the like, and it was later sent, with her parents, to a school in rural India near a free medical clinic they founded. The Indian students, in return, sent back their own photographs.
“I remember sharing some pictures, and one of my students at the time looked at me and said ‘wow Ms. Felzenberg (Linnehan’s maiden name), we’re lucky,’” said Linnehan. “Moments like that — the ones we don’t necessarily plan out in our lessons — are the moments in teaching that are often the most special.”
While she can’t point to a specific classroom lesson that’s her favorite because each class will always be different from the last, Linnehan recalls her favorite books to teach to children are “Tiger Rising” by Kate DiCamillo, “Amina’s Voice” by Hena Khan, “Rules” by Cynthia Lord and, generally, “any book that challenges our students to think differently about the world around them.”
She enjoys most teaching books that have themes relating to acceptance, friendship and embracing each others’ differences.
Linnehan realizes, however, not every child will love reading, and she works diligently with the PVS librarian, Kathleen Lewin, to help students find what books they may like.
Earlier in the school year, she had a student who expressed their dissatisfaction with reading, and found a book they enjoyed reading so much, they wanted to read its sequel over winter break for leisure. Linnehan reached out to the author via Twitter and had a short conversation with the author about the book, its series and how the student loved it.
She added she relates with her students because she didn’t like reading growing up and didn’t find her passion until she found authors whose works she enjoyed.
“I get excited when they get excited because I know what a difference finding just one author or one book can make,“ said Linnehan.
Linnehan recalled one of her funnier moments in teaching was when she was transitioning from HTES to PVS. She had a new hairstyle and last name, and students would ponder over if they knew her or not. Upon meeting with students, she’d hear students enthusiastically shout “Ms. Felzenberg!” in the halls. Now, she has a few who will say it jokingly. She said it makes her day.
With her entire teaching career being in HTSD, Linnehan said she feels blessed to have a supportive group of co-workers and administration who give her opportunities to grow as an educator, which makes the Educator of the Year distinction more special for her.
