From training teachers, to designing courses, restorative justice work, and leading dozens of classrooms of her own, Jacquie is always finding new ways to support students. Her career in education has taken her from Idaho, to Florida, to South Dakota, and now back to her home state of Minnesota where she serves as a tutor in Reading Corps.
“I’ve had a very good career. I’ve been able to kind of indulge things that I really love to do,” she says. “I love working: I feel like the kids give me more than I give them.”
Beginning Her Career in Service
Jacquie got her start in education more than four decades ago, when she graduated from Boise State University and hopped straight into teaching, at first with the Conservation Corps in Idaho and later in public schools in Florida. While in the Sunshine State, she not only taught young students, but she also worked at Lake Sumter State College training other teachers! It was there that Jacquie even met some folks working on a different way to support students, one that she would join herself two decades later.
“I was first introduced to Reading Corps many years ago, when they started the program in Florida,” she remembers. Jacquie got to see firsthand the state’s adoption of Reading Corps’ preschool-specific program, now known as Early Learning Corps. “I even got to know some of the [members] in the program!”
Coming Back to Minnesota
A decade later, she retired from full-time teaching and moved back to the place she was born and raised: west-central Minnesota. Jacquie grew up on a dairy farm in Swift Falls and found a new home just north in Alexandria. The small city is close by to her aging father has ample opportunities to engage her love of local theater and fishing. Even with her career coming to a close, Jacquie knew back when she moved that she still had more to give local students.
“I couldn’t just totally quit working, but I needed flexibility,” she says. Reading Corps was the exact opportunity she had been hoping for. “I’ve had family members that are quite ill, and so the past few years I’ve reduced my hours and done the part-time option. It’s been a perfect fit.”
Jacquie spends her mornings at a local elementary school, helping to boost the reading skills of kids from kindergarten through third grade. Then in the afternoon, she’s available to spend time with and take care of her father or anyone else in the family who needs her support. Not only has tutoring allowed Jacquie to use the expertise she gained over her career, the versatile schedule has helped her thrive in retirement.
“It’s been wonderful for me to have that kind of balance with my personal life and also feel like I’m still contributing,” she says. “I love working with the kids.”
Helping Students Thrive
Jacquie is currently in her fourth year of Reading Corps. Because AmeriCorps members can serve a maximum of four terms, Jacquie only has half a year left, and she’s savoring her time left in the program. Her favorite aspect of tutoring is the same as it was in teaching: making meaningful connections to children that help them learn. She appreciates the “whole child approach” she sees every day in Reading Corps, where teachers and tutors don’t just look for mistakes or places where students need to improve but also highlight and develop their strengths.
“We look at a child, not just find where they needed help, but also encouraging them and finding the assets that they already have,” she says. Those assets might be anything from an interest in music, skill at sports, or just a love of one’s family, but each one provides an avenue for connection that Jacquie can use to build trust and support learning. “Every few days I like to check in with them about their interests and even find connections to the things that we read!”
Enjoying the Final Months
Jacquie is so grateful for the ways that Reading Corps has allowed her to continue giving back as she settles into retirement. She knows how much she’ll miss using her skills every day and putting her love of supporting students’ social-emotional learning.
“I love how comfortable the children become knowing that I’m there to support them,” she says. But just like her time teaching, she still feels like service has given more than it has taken. “For me, Reading Corps gave me a soft landing after my retirement and let me come back and enjoy the energy of working with kids in kindergarten to third grade. I would definitely recommend the program.”
Whether you’re just starting your career or hoping to do good after retiring, you can make a difference for students in your community just like Jacquie! Visit join.readingandmath.org to learn more and see open positions near you.