Montgomery to retire
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Norma Montgomery�s favorite part of teaching is opening the world to children through reading. |
By Karin Rettinger
BOURBON � Forty-one years ago Norma Montgomery pulled into the parking lot of her first teaching job and felt a chill run up her spine. �I�m a teacher,� she thought to herself. In her last days before retirement at the end of the month, that thrill and thought is still with her every day as she drives up to the building
A first grade teacher all the way through her career, Montgomery sees herself as a reading oriented teacher. She says, �It is so important for children at this age.� �The biggest challenge is to get children to write stories on their own and getting them to use the vocabulary they have. Writing is a big part of the ISTEP test (which is given for the first time at the beginning of third grade).�
Montgomery is the Triton coordinator of the Marshall County Reading Council which sponsors the annual Young Authors Conference and promotes reading in the county. She is also a member of the state and national reading councils.
�Children have so many more opportunities now in reading (development),� says Montgomery. �There is Bridges, Title I, and the Resource room� offering reading services to children. In the 1960�s each teacher was responsible for meeting the needs of each of the children with no outside assistance.
�We even taught P.E. for many years,� she recalls. �I take credit for teaching Mel Trowbridge how to dribble,� she laughs.
Surrounded by bright colors, the alphabet and a well-organized room, Montgomery admits to being a list maker and taking great joy in crossing things off her list. A janitor steps in the room and proclaims her the teacher with the cleanest blackboards. He also pointed out she won the �golden trashcan� more times than any other teacher, and it now resides in her room permanently. Montgomery picks up the bright yellow metal waste can, shows the names lettered on it and explains that for a period of time (in the old building over ten years ago), another janitor attempted to promote tidiness in the classrooms began awarding the �golden trashcan� on a weekly basis. The winner would get their name written on the can and the can would occupy their room for the week. When the big move was made from the old building to the new the special trash can came with Montgomery�s class and has stayed there.
An involved member of the Triton Teachers Association, the Indiana State Teachers Association, and the National Education Association Montgomery was a big advocate of the new building which was completed in 1991. She knew first hand the problems of the old Bourbon High School and served on the steering committees to facilitate the construction of a modern facility. On the big changes was the noticeable quiet. Carpet and acoustical tile reduced the noise level dramatically. �The only time we hear anything outside of our room is a rainstorm on the windows.
She arrives at school shortly after 6:30 a.m. �I feel more organized if I�m here early. It�s always been my habit.�
Montgomery recalls the happiest year of teaching was 1972-73. She remembers Rod Fetters was in the class and all the children were so eager and willing to learn. �We could do lots of fun projects.�
Her saddest year was just last year when first grader Jay Miller died of a recurrence of cancer. �The students could see him deteriorate.� she said of his sudden and rapid decline in health. She tutored Jay at home when he could no longer attend school.
In Montgomery�s first year she had 38 students in her room. This year she has just 15, a big change resulting from the institution of PrimeTime. She hastens to add that under PrimeTime she can have additional students, but an aid will be assigned to maintain the teacher-student ratio.
As Norma Shearer, Montgomery was raised north of Bourbon where she attended Bremen Schools graduating there in 1956. It was her destiny to be a teacher. She lined up her dolls in the dining room and gave them lessons. She visited the neighboring Amish children and gave them English lessons. Her parents encouraged her dream and sent her off to Grace College where she finished in 4 years. Her first teaching job was two years at LaPaz, then two years at Bourbon Elementary, five years at Argos, and then 32 at Triton Elementary.
She remembers fondly the support and advice she received from the Argos teaching staff. �The biggest inspiration to me was down at Argos. The teachers were older and they gave me good ideas about classroom management. They praised me and encouraged me.�
In 1998 she was the District Teacher of the Year, sponsored by the American Legion. She is a member of the Bourbon American Legion Auxiliary, the Triton Kiwanis, Eastern Star-Warsaw, and Alpha Nu Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma.
�One year it rained for two weeks and we could not go out outside for recess. If the gym was busy we had to stay in the room for recess. The children made a big sun for the wall,� she said. �One child said to me `Mrs. Montgomery, if you were God, the sun would shine all the time.�� Her positive attitude lights up the room.
She is looking forward to welcoming a grandchild into her family in October. Norma and Gary Montgomery were married in November 1960. They have two children, Lee Ann (Mrs. Ken) Cretcher and Shawn, who is married to Tracy Vermillion. Shawn and Tracy live in the house that Norma lived in all her single life.
Norma is making plans to enjoy her hobbies: swimming, reading, crocheting and taking care of her yard.
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