The Role of an Extended Resource Teacher: A Discussion with Barb Zaremski

Dr. Christopher Lewis, one of the members of the Williamston Community Schools Board of Education, welcomes listeners back to the Hornet Hive Podcast in his latest podcast episode. In this insightful conversation, Dr. Lewis sits down with Barb Zaremski, the extended resource teacher for young fives through fifth grade at Discovery Elementary School and Explorer Elementary School. The episode sheds light on the pivotal role of educators in building a supportive community for students, touching on how personal connections and dedication to the holistic growth of each child can make a significant impact.

Finding Purpose in Community Engagement

When asked what brought her to Williamston, Barb Zaremski shares her personal journey. Her initial connection to the community stemmed from her husband's position at the local high school. The desire to raise their children in a small, nurturing environment with quality educational opportunities solidified their decision to settle in Williamston. This profound sense of community played a pivotal role in shaping her professional trajectory. Barb's commitment to her role as an educator is deeply intertwined with her connection to the community, underlining the importance of personal investment in the nurturing of young minds.

Beyond Academics: The Role of an Extended Resource Teacher

Barb Zaremski elaborates on the nature of her role as an extended resource teacher. She provides comprehensive insight into the support system in place for students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). Her commitment to tailoring interventions to meet individual learning needs is evident in her description of providing intensive interventions in reading and math for students, ensuring they can participate effectively in the general education setting. This role highlights the dedication required to provide personalized support and cultivate an inclusive educational environment for all students. .

The Fabric of a Strong Community: Collaboration and Support

Barb emphasizes the seamless synergy within the special education and general education teams. Her depiction of the collaborative environment and the mutual support among colleagues highlights the significance of fostering a cohesive and dynamic professional community. The open exchange of ideas, respect for diverse teaching styles, and a shared commitment to the well-being of students epitomize a community built on collaboration and support. Moreover, Barb's account of her relationship with the families of her students reinforces the idea of a supportive village that extends beyond the school walls, actively involving parents and guardians in the educational journey of their children.

The Heartwarming Impact of Personal Connections

Through a touching anecdote, Barb Zaremski epitomizes the emotional reward found in teaching. Her story of nurturing a relationship with a student's family and witnessing the growth of the student over several years showcases the profound impact of personal connections. Barb's commitment to focusing on the holistic development of her students, encompassing both academic and personal milestones, underscores the genuine care and empathy that define her approach.

A Heartfelt Appreciation for Educators

In a closing note of gratitude, Dr. Lewis expresses his appreciation for Barb's unwavering dedication to her students. He acknowledges the significance of her role in uplifting and supporting students who may be facing challenges, affirming the school community's unwavering support for educators like Barb. His words reflect the collective appreciation for educators who go above and beyond to create a nurturing and enriching educational environment for children.

Embracing the Spirit of Community in Education

The insightful conversation between Dr. Lewis and Barb Zaremski brings to light the profound impact of community engagement within the educational landscape. It underscores the indispensable role of educators in fostering a supportive and nurturing environment, where the well-being and growth of each child are paramount. Barb's dedication to her role as an extended resource teacher transcends the academic domain, embodying the spirit of holistic care and personalized support. As this enlightening episode concludes, it serves as a poignant reminder of the transformative power of dedicated educators in shaping the fabric of a vibrant and compassionate community dedicated to the success of every child.

TRANSCRIPT

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:00:19]:
Welcome back to the Hornet Hive. I'm your host doctor Christopher Lewis, one of the members of the Williamston Community Schools Board of Education. Really excited to have you back again this week. You know, this Week, as always, I just love sitting down with you and being able to talk about the amazing things that are happening within our schools. And what I love to do is be able to open the door to allow you to come in and see what is happening within the schools that allows Our students to be able to thrive and be successful and to really set themselves up for a lifetime of success. And on top of that, I love being able to offer you an opportunity to meet people that are working with our kids on a daily basis. Now you may have kids in the district right now. You might have had kids in the past that have gone to our schools, but I'll tell you, you probably don't know every staff member that is there because your kids may or may not have interacted with them, And that's okay, but it's still important for you to know who is working with our kids, whether you have kids in the district or not.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:01:25]:
This week, we have another great guest with us. Barb Zaremski is with us today, and Barb is the extended resource teacher for our young five through five. So she works in 2 different buildings. She works in our Discovery Elementary School as well as our Explorer Elementary School. So she works some across both of those, so we'll get to Learn a little bit more about that, but I'm just really excited to have her here and to introduce her to you. Barb, thanks so much for being here today.

Barb Zaremski [00:01:53]:
Thank you so much for having me, Chris.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:01:55]:
It is my pleasure. Love having you on. And and and one of the things that I love to do is first and foremost, Turn the clock back in time. Wouldn't that be great if we could just do that with a snap of our fingers? But I would love to turn the clock back and have you tell me what initially brought you to Williamston.

Barb Zaremski [00:02:11]:
Well, I initially came to Williamston because my husband was the trainer at the high school. And so when we got married and decided to start having kids. We knew that we wanted to be in a smaller community with good schools. And with my husband working At the high school, we knew that this was the type of the community that we would wanna stay in. It was also helpful that He did not have a bar drive after a long night. And then, also, when my kids were little, we were close to him, And the administration has always been great about letting his kids come say hi in the sidelines real quick and then leave. So but that's why we came to Willingston is because my husband started a job at the high school, and then we just fell in love with the little community. It is Much different from what either one of us grew up in, and we just love it here.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:03:03]:
Now I know that I mentioned that you are the extended Resource teacher for our young fives to 5. Talk to me about you said that you moved here initially because your husband was working for the school district. What ended up bringing you to being an educator in the schools?

Barb Zaremski [00:03:19]:
What brought me back here was I had actually been talking to a neighbor of mine, And I was lamenting a little bit while my son was in 6th grade, and I could never seem to pick him up from cross country on time. And those 4 cross country coaches were always waiting, and I was the last one because I worked in a district about 40 minutes away. And she mentioned at a Holiday party to our director of special education, doctor Cook. And so on Christmas Eve, actually, I was getting a text For my neighbor letting me know she had brought it up to doctor Cook because there had been a special educator that left over break and Said, you know, are you still interested in maybe working here? And I said, yes. That would be great. And so that's just kind of it was Very happenstance and quickly. Over the December of 2019, we set up an interview for in January. And by the End of January in 2020, I was working at the elementary school.

Barb Zaremski [00:04:16]:
So it was great to be back on the same schedule as my kids and my husband and not Work 40 minutes away.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:04:23]:
So I mentioned again that you are in this role that is working between discovery and explorer, the resource teacher position. Not everybody's gonna know what that means and what you do in that role. Talk to me more about this position And what you do on a daily basis to support our kids.

Barb Zaremski [00:04:41]:
So my role as extended resource so if you have a student that has an IEP, They usually start out with a regular resource room teacher, and that means that they require about 20 to 40 minutes of academic support In reading, writing, or math a day, maybe 20 minutes in math, 20 minutes in reading, so 40 minutes today. Then as those interventions are used, if a student is not making progress, then we up their service time so that we can have more direct instruction and more intensive interventions. Students come to me When they need more than an hour a day, really, like, 90 minutes to 2 hours a day of intensive interventions In reading and math, and even some of my students, I do full replacement re curriculums because they are 2 or more grade levels behind Their same aged peers, but I'm quickly trying to fill those gaps so that they can still participate With their same aged peers in the gen ed setting. My room, it's less students overall. It's more intensive interventions. I do have a para that also works in my room, which is great. So we kind of rotate through working on Different identified skills where the students have those deficits.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:06:03]:
Now you've been with the district now for a number of years, and you have than an educator even before that. But as an educator here in Williamston, there are definitely things that stay new, things that make you continue to do the things that you do on a daily basis. So I guess 1 question would be is what has sustained you over the years here in Williamston, and what makes Williamston a great place to work?

Barb Zaremski [00:06:28]:
What has sustained me really is the staff, The special education staff that we have at the elementary level is just outstanding. We can bounce ideas off one another. He can play to our strengths. Some of us prefer you know, at the beginning of of the year, some of us prefer doing certain tasks and some of us prefer doing other tasks. And We will share the work, but the gen ed teachers are also just amazing to work with. It helped when I came here. I had a relationship with many of them because my children met through the elementary school, so I knew quite a few of their teaching styles. But the administrators are great to work with and bounce ideas off.

Barb Zaremski [00:07:10]:
And it is just the staff, the community that they've built, I've never been made to feel like, oh, you shouldn't be asking me that question, and everybody is always offering help to one another. And Especially in a time like this, like, we all need to band together, and I do just love the family in both buildings. And sometimes I feel little split Between discovery and explorer, so sometimes I'll participate in the discovery activities, and sometimes I'll participate in the explorer activities even though my classroom is housed and explore. But half my students are discovery students. So but it's really it's the staff. And the pair of pros that I work with, that work in my classroom or work with my students, They are extension of what I do. They just make all of our lives easier. So it is just a wonderful, wonderful staff to work with.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:08:01]:
Now every teacher that I've ever talked to, every staff member that I talked to, they definitely have stories. They're storytellers. They have stories that Sustain them as we just talked about, but also stories that they hold dear to them as well. Things that touch their hearts in positive ways, Frustrate them in negative ways, and that's just the life of teaching and being a teacher. Can you share a story with me that epitomizes for you the experience that you've had as a Williamson staff member?

Barb Zaremski [00:08:30]:
Yeah. So I've worked with a couple students that are from the same family, and I have developed An amazing relationship with this parent, and I love working with these students, and it has been amazing to me to see how much they've grown because some of these students I've been working with for 3, 4 years. And being able to share that joy with the parent and celebrate How that student is growing, the milestones they're reaching, the successes that they are getting. And we don't always talk about academics. We talk about even celebrations in that child. Social life that I can bring into the classroom because I don't just wanna focus on Academics, I wanna focus on the whole child in my room because that helps them grow. So, like, really working with that 1 parent and watching with them go. And one day, I had the student that they weren't at school.

Barb Zaremski [00:09:32]:
They had doctor's appointment, but she made sure to come to my after school tutoring that day. And so I was like, I didn't see you all day. And she's like, well, I couldn't miss my tutoring. And I was like, okay then. Alright. So and that's what sustains me is those smiling faces. Those kids, they do they try so hard, and we have great partnerships with a lot of our families, which is great that we can be a team to really help their child grow.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:10:00]:
Well, Barbara, I just wanna say thank you. Thank you for everything that you do To be able to work with these kids on a daily basis to help these kids that may be struggling, that may be working, as you Said a couple years behind where other students are and getting them up to speed and helping them to get to where they need to be and giving them that mention that they need as well. And just know that all of us are behind you, and we really appreciate all the work that you do. So thank you for being here, for sharing your story, and I wish you all the best.

Barb Zaremski [00:10:26]:
Thank you so much for having me.