Iuka Fifth Grade Teacher Julie Berry with Superintendent John Consolino as she is awarded the Teacher of the Week honor by WJBD and WSIQ Radio. Photo by Bruce Kropp.
Iuka Fifth Grade Teacher Julie Berry is this week’s WJBD-WSIQ Teacher of the Week.
Berry says this year is definitely the most challenging year of her 25-year teaching career, but she’s proud of both what her students and parents have done to make the best of it.
“Not only are we having to help teach kids here at school but whenever we have been pushed to remote circumstances that require a tremendous amount of parental support. Depending on their work schedules and things it could be very challenging for them. So sometimes it means that you do have to make a trip by their house to check on them or help them out and get them what they need.”
One of those nominating Berry noted how she had made a home visit when they were seriously ill with COVID and unable to help.
Berry is quick to credit the kids for embracing the technology as Iuka went one to one with Chromebooks for all grades this year.
“I’m really proud of the kids because the first two weeks where we were here at school and establishing routines. This year it was all tech routines and they just did a wonderful job at learning that.”
Berry says when on remote learning, all the students would get together at 8:30 each morning on Google Meets for discussion and seeing how each other were doing. But despite the technology, she says in-person teaching will always be the best.
Superintendent John Cosolino is quick to praise Berry as a technology leader in the district.
“The first one and the most prepared one to lead in the way she’s delivering education to her kids right now she has been a blessing in that matter. She’s done a great job not only supporting her kids but supporting other teachers and staff members in the building helping them with the things they need help with it’s been great to have her here for that.”
Consolino says in addition to teaching in the classroom, teachers are also working with about 10-percent of the student body that is on full remote learning. The district is still going to class five days a week, but dismissing at two pm to allow teachers to work with the remote learners. Consolino says while they had computers available at school before, the one on one computers were made possible by federal funding to deal with COVID-19.
