Akron Teacher Hangs Up Chalk After 40 Years In Fourth Grade
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By David [email protected]
"I think I've always wanted to be a teacher," she said during an interview at the Akron Country Kitchen Thursday. "We played school at home, and I decided I wanted to be a teacher."
After 40 years of teaching fourth grade at Akron Elementary School, Howard retired this summer. An open house will be held for her Sept. 16 from 1 to 3 p.m. at Akron Elementary School. Refreshments will be served.
Howard was born in Anderson on April 11, 1945. Her family lived in Fairmount, but the town didn't have a hospital. She graduated from Silver Lake High School in 1963 "back when they had a school," she said. In high school, she was in the band and Sunshine Honor Society.
She graduated from Manchester College in 1967, and received her master's degree from Saint Francis College, Fort Wayne. It took her several summers to earn her master's degree.
She landed her first teaching job at Akron and never left. "It was always a joke that I didn't pass so I had to stay in the fourth grade," Howard said.
She did her student teaching in third grade, and that's what she hoped to get originally, but no third-grade position was available. Akron was adding another fourth-grade section, so she landed that job instead.
"I really enjoyed fourth grade," she said. "The students are independent, but they still like their teachers."
Brett Boggs, Tippecanoe Valley School Corp. assistant superintendent, said when he started teaching fourth grade at Akron in 1978, Howard's classroom was next door to his for seven years. He then was Howard's vice principal, principal and then assistant superintendent for 21 years.
"There's a lot of good things I can say about Bernadean," Boggs said.
One of those things is the annual fourth-grade Pioneer Days. Boggs said that's been held since he was a teacher at Akron. Every fourth-grader remembers that day. Bernadean's husband, Larry, took part in that, too, as the couple are really into history. "She put a lot of effort and time into that," Boggs said.
Howard said she originally co-sponsored the Pioneer Days with Bev Thompson, beginning around 1970. When they first started the annual event, there were maple trees at the old high school. Students were taught how to tap the trees for the syrup. Students also learned to pull taffy, make funnel cakes and rope, and how to make butter and apple butter.
"It was fun," Howard said. "The kids had to dress up as pioneers, and switch to the different stations. It showed them what it used to be like. We also visited the one-room (Prill) school house."
At the Trail of Courage, Larry showed the students his ropes, knives and furs. He made the rope machines for the school.
Bernadean said she and Larry aren't involved in reenactments as much as they used to be since their four children are grown, but they do make it down to Rochester for events there.
"(It's) just an appreciation for the past, how different lifestyles are from now," Bernadean said.
Bernadean also taught science to all the fourth-graders.
While she said she enjoys both history and science, Bernadean said if she had to pick one, it would be science. "It's the earth, God's creation," she said. She especially liked teaching the subject to students when they got into the hands-on learning.
Dean Rager was Howard's first school principal. Blaine Conley was her last. Conley said Howard was a teacher who went above and beyond the call of duty.
"She was one of the teachers that did a lot of stuff after school, after the normal hours," Conley said.
One of those things includes sponsoring the Mathathon, which raised money for St. Jude Children's Hospital. "She did a nice job of coordinating that, and she got students motivated," Conley said.
Her ability to adapt also was appreciated, he said. "She was always a teacher who was always flexible to adapting to new teaching concepts in the 40 years she taught. That was really appreciated by everyone.
"She was a good lady. She was someone you could depend on," Boggs said.
She always was willing to help out with school-related matters. She was a firm disciplinarian, Boggs said, but in a good way. She always was willing to help out and to share supplies. She was involved with the teachers' contracts negotiations, worked well with the administration and was a team player, Boggs said.
"She did a lot of things well," he said.
In her 40 years, Howard taught many students. But they also taught her a few things.
"(They) probably taught me to appreciate the growth of youth. They're much more mature than sometimes we give them credit for. They taught me to be patient.
"There's been a lot of changes in kids over the years. When I started, they were more disciplined, more traditional in knowing what was expected of them at school. Now they are more self-reliant. They want to be entertained."
But despite the changes, she said she doesn't regret her 40 years of teaching fourth grade at Akron Elementary.
"I've been content to be a teacher my whole life," she said.[[In-content Ad]]
"I think I've always wanted to be a teacher," she said during an interview at the Akron Country Kitchen Thursday. "We played school at home, and I decided I wanted to be a teacher."
After 40 years of teaching fourth grade at Akron Elementary School, Howard retired this summer. An open house will be held for her Sept. 16 from 1 to 3 p.m. at Akron Elementary School. Refreshments will be served.
Howard was born in Anderson on April 11, 1945. Her family lived in Fairmount, but the town didn't have a hospital. She graduated from Silver Lake High School in 1963 "back when they had a school," she said. In high school, she was in the band and Sunshine Honor Society.
She graduated from Manchester College in 1967, and received her master's degree from Saint Francis College, Fort Wayne. It took her several summers to earn her master's degree.
She landed her first teaching job at Akron and never left. "It was always a joke that I didn't pass so I had to stay in the fourth grade," Howard said.
She did her student teaching in third grade, and that's what she hoped to get originally, but no third-grade position was available. Akron was adding another fourth-grade section, so she landed that job instead.
"I really enjoyed fourth grade," she said. "The students are independent, but they still like their teachers."
Brett Boggs, Tippecanoe Valley School Corp. assistant superintendent, said when he started teaching fourth grade at Akron in 1978, Howard's classroom was next door to his for seven years. He then was Howard's vice principal, principal and then assistant superintendent for 21 years.
"There's a lot of good things I can say about Bernadean," Boggs said.
One of those things is the annual fourth-grade Pioneer Days. Boggs said that's been held since he was a teacher at Akron. Every fourth-grader remembers that day. Bernadean's husband, Larry, took part in that, too, as the couple are really into history. "She put a lot of effort and time into that," Boggs said.
Howard said she originally co-sponsored the Pioneer Days with Bev Thompson, beginning around 1970. When they first started the annual event, there were maple trees at the old high school. Students were taught how to tap the trees for the syrup. Students also learned to pull taffy, make funnel cakes and rope, and how to make butter and apple butter.
"It was fun," Howard said. "The kids had to dress up as pioneers, and switch to the different stations. It showed them what it used to be like. We also visited the one-room (Prill) school house."
At the Trail of Courage, Larry showed the students his ropes, knives and furs. He made the rope machines for the school.
Bernadean said she and Larry aren't involved in reenactments as much as they used to be since their four children are grown, but they do make it down to Rochester for events there.
"(It's) just an appreciation for the past, how different lifestyles are from now," Bernadean said.
Bernadean also taught science to all the fourth-graders.
While she said she enjoys both history and science, Bernadean said if she had to pick one, it would be science. "It's the earth, God's creation," she said. She especially liked teaching the subject to students when they got into the hands-on learning.
Dean Rager was Howard's first school principal. Blaine Conley was her last. Conley said Howard was a teacher who went above and beyond the call of duty.
"She was one of the teachers that did a lot of stuff after school, after the normal hours," Conley said.
One of those things includes sponsoring the Mathathon, which raised money for St. Jude Children's Hospital. "She did a nice job of coordinating that, and she got students motivated," Conley said.
Her ability to adapt also was appreciated, he said. "She was always a teacher who was always flexible to adapting to new teaching concepts in the 40 years she taught. That was really appreciated by everyone.
"She was a good lady. She was someone you could depend on," Boggs said.
She always was willing to help out with school-related matters. She was a firm disciplinarian, Boggs said, but in a good way. She always was willing to help out and to share supplies. She was involved with the teachers' contracts negotiations, worked well with the administration and was a team player, Boggs said.
"She did a lot of things well," he said.
In her 40 years, Howard taught many students. But they also taught her a few things.
"(They) probably taught me to appreciate the growth of youth. They're much more mature than sometimes we give them credit for. They taught me to be patient.
"There's been a lot of changes in kids over the years. When I started, they were more disciplined, more traditional in knowing what was expected of them at school. Now they are more self-reliant. They want to be entertained."
But despite the changes, she said she doesn't regret her 40 years of teaching fourth grade at Akron Elementary.
"I've been content to be a teacher my whole life," she said.[[In-content Ad]]
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