Learning for Life: The Joys and Pitfalls of Education in 2020.
Hello! This is day one of a new adventure for me. I am so excited to be launching a blog about literacy learning. I hope you will choose to join me while we learn about literacy together. To get things started, let me tell you about myself and why I am here.
My name is Mary Bradbury. I have been in the field of education over 25 years now. Whew, where did that time go! Looking back, the journey of becoming an educator has been filled with many twists and turns. The winding path I took has brought me to this place and time and equipped me with unusual gifts and talents! Let me share a few highlights with you.
After high school graduation, I went off to college thinking I wanted to be a nurse. That idea lasted all of two weeks and I realized I was not nurse material. I explored many career choices in the two years I was enrolled at Bethel University. During spring semester of sophomore year, I took an education class that had a field experience component. During this time, I made the decision to quit school at the end of the year. I shared my decision with my supervising teacher. She replied that someday you will be back in education doing great things! I did not realize at the time the impact her words had on my future. I shared her comment with my mom at the time and forgot about it until my mom reminded me years later. It amazes me how God has used people throughout my journey to inspire me and point me in the right direction. After leaving school I got a job in advertising. I worked full time for six years and went to school on the weekends to complete my elementary education degree. This was definitely not the easiest way to get a degree, but being a non-traditional student worked for me.
I earned my degree in the early 1990’s at a time when there were few teaching jobs available. During this time my young family moved back to my hometown in Minnesota. I started substitute teaching in the fall of 1992. In January of 1993, two half time Title I positions opened up. This was a perfect fit for a young mom. There were 256 applicants for these positions. I was thrilled to be selected. Looking back, this job was pivotal for the future that awaited me.
The next big highlight was six years later when I trained to become a Reading Recovery teacher. This one opportunity has had the biggest impact on my life professionally and personally. I received stellar training from a woman that taught me about literacy but more importantly invested in me personally. My trainer saw potential in me that I did not recognize myself. She breathed a vision into me that I never thought possible. She did for me, what all great educators do, she inspired me and gave me the belief in myself! I am forever grateful to her. I was privileged to teach Reading Recovery for eight years.
The next step for me was to validate all my Reading Recovery training and put it to use in a classroom setting. At this point, I took a third-grade position for one year. Then I moved into second grade where I taught for four years. During that time, I was involved in a co-teaching cohort that was being launched in our district. Our trainer was a woman that became a mentor and friend to me. The purpose of this cohort was to meet the needs of our English Language Learners (ELL). I taught in a district of approximately 4000 students with a high ELL population. Our needs mirrored those of a large urban district in a small rural setting. Because of this unique situation I received incredible professional development training. I did my master’s thesis on ELL co-teaching in the mainstream classroom. My wise mentor inspired me and said it was time to move on and utilize my talents in a large district that would recognize me as the leader I had become.
I moved and took a job as a literacy coach in a large urban district. The first year was one of the best of my career. I was one of approximately 50 literacy coaches and received some of the best training imaginable as well as working with some of the brightest literacy minds.
While at this district, I began my work with the University of Chicago.
UChicago Impact was beginning a partnership with two elementary schools through a large, multi-year grant. I was fortunate to be one of four literacy coaches working on this project. Once again, I received outstanding training that is not afforded many educators.
Four years later, I was ready to make a move and was privileged to continue my partnership with UChicago Impact as a self-employed STEP Literacy Trainer. At this point, I truly achieved my dream job! I was able to share my love of literacy with elementary schools around the country! Every day that I went to work I got on an airplane and flew around the country. A perfect fit for someone that loves to travel. I have been so honored to work with amazing people from Camden, New Jersey, New Orleans, Charlotte, Milwaukee, Atlanta, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Houston, Nashville, Washington DC, and Kansas City.
As I launched into the arena of being self-employed, I was nervous about being able to support myself. That fall I juggled three different positions. In addition to the work with UChicago Impact, I worked for the University of Minnesota as a PRESS Literacy Specialist and I also did curriculum training as a Benchmark Education Consultant. By November, I was burnt out. After long travel days, I was arriving home very late and having to get up and be on campus at 8:00 am. At this point, I made the difficult and scary decision to resign. One very big highlight from my tenure at the U of M was working with an exceptional literary mind that has become a life-long friend. Each step of the way God has woven strong, intelligent and influential people in my life who have modeled excellence and helped me learn and grow.
Unfortunately, things often last for only a season. The work I was doing with UChicago Impact came to an end. I was devastated at this turn of events. Now what… what do you do when your dream job is stripped away? I secured a position as a literacy lead in an elementary school. It was during this year that the pandemic hit. I now was faced with the challenges of providing reading instruction through distance learning.
That leads me to the here and now. My passion is to support everyone that is faced with similar challenges. Those that are trained teachers and those parents that have been thrust into teaching at home. The face of education is changing rapidly and dramatically. Teachers and parents are struggling to know how to effectively help their students or children that are learning to read or having difficulties with reading. My niche for the past 20 years has been teaching struggling readers how to read! I am here to help. I can provide support and resources.
I would be honored to assist you and help ease the stress of this burden. The most important goal for me in this process is that children learn to enjoy books and reading and that they understand that the magic of reading can unlock whatever they can dream or imagine. I am here to support so please share your questions and struggles. Let’s figure this out together.
One final confession. I have a BIG secret… I was a struggling reader as a child. Look at ME now, anything is possible!
“Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.”
― Frederick Douglass
The joy is in the journey!
Peace,
Mary
PS: Thank you for reading my blog. I would love to get to know you and learn how I can be of help to you. Please take a moment to click this link and share your information with me. I would LOVE to hear from you.
