Former student comes full circle
By Joanne Fox, Journal staff writer | Posted: Monday, January 29, 2007
A quarter of a century after she roamed the halls of Emerson Elementary School, one young woman has returned as a volunteer, mother and nontraditional student pursuing a degree in elementary education.
On this wintry day, Tina Buhrman was helping second-grade teacher Richelle Burr with a lottery-type game in her son's classroom. Instead of numbers, the kids had created a grid with new vocabulary words garnered from a social studies lesson.
The pupils weren't all that different from typical Bingo players, chatting and looking at each other's cards when a "clue" was given. Some voiced their glee out loud or their disappointment in a similar volume. Since it was a learning situation, there were a number of students who weren't sure which words were which on their cards. That resulted in pleas for help.
"Let's not hear shouting out," Buhrman gently admonished. "Let's allow everybody to use their thinking cap without noise."
Buhrman attended Emerson Grade School from 1981-87. She admitted her present interest may have been the result of her own mother's involvement while Buhrman was an elementary pupil. Marty (Gott) Buhrman also attended Emerson as a child.
"My mom was the lunch lady, so I saw her every day," she said with a laugh. "Plus she was my room mom."
As an adult, Buhrman recalled her education and parents' involvement was key to her own success as a student.
"I was raised with high expectations, not just by my parents, but the educators here at Emerson as well," she said.
Although Buhrman had earned a degree in social work and was working in environments that utilized her education, the siren song of the classroom was calling. She confessed, "I wanted to be in the front line of education."
She began volunteering at Emerson when her son Izaiah, now 7, enrolled. It was the combination of volunteering and parenting that spurred Buhrman into moving toward becoming a teacher. She returned to school and began working on a degree in elementary education.
"It's easy to send my child here," Buhrman said. "I had a quality education here so I was confident he would have the same."
With school and expecting a second son in April, Buhrman has cut back the volunteering time to once a week -- sometimes in the morning and sometimes in the afternoon.
"I try to balance the time I'm here so Izaiah doesn't think I'm looking over his shoulder," she said.
Buhrman felt strongly about giving back "to a building that had given me so much as a child."
"It's a double bonus for me to help out here with Izaiah here," she added. "But there's not enough parent volunteers. They could always use more."
It's also been a personal plus for her as a potential educator.
"I can see the academic status of the students as well as network with a great bunch of professionals here," Buhrman said. "It's given me hope as a parent, former student and future educator."
Buhrman praised the school's philosophy of community, family and welcoming people with open arms.
"They provide such a strong support system for me personally," she noted. "As a single mom, I need that because I'm determined I'm going to do a good job raising my sons; it's just that I'm doing the job of two parents."
Buhrman was particularly introspective during the interview. On Wednesday, she turns 31, "my golden birthday," she pointed out and will coincidentally be 31 weeks along in her pregnancy.
"I look around here (at Emerson) and just realize I've come full circle," she said. "It's reassuring to see there's something good still here."
Joanne Fox may be reached at (712) 293-4247 or joannefox@siouxcityjournal.com.
VITA
Name: Tina Buhrman
Hometown: Sioux City
Education: 1994 graduate of West High School; awarded a bachelor's degree in social work from Bellevue University in 2001; currently pursuing an elementary education degree from the University of Northern Iowa with an anticipated graduation date of December 2007
Professional: previously employed with Winnebago Youth Facility, Sanford Center and as shelter director at Crittenton Center for Shelter and Youth Development; now employed with the Sioux City Community School District's Office of Indian Education
Personal: one son Izaiah, another son due in April
How she's making a difference: by volunteering at Emerson Elementary School
On this wintry day, Tina Buhrman was helping second-grade teacher Richelle Burr with a lottery-type game in her son's classroom. Instead of numbers, the kids had created a grid with new vocabulary words garnered from a social studies lesson.
The pupils weren't all that different from typical Bingo players, chatting and looking at each other's cards when a "clue" was given. Some voiced their glee out loud or their disappointment in a similar volume. Since it was a learning situation, there were a number of students who weren't sure which words were which on their cards. That resulted in pleas for help.
"Let's not hear shouting out," Buhrman gently admonished. "Let's allow everybody to use their thinking cap without noise."
Buhrman attended Emerson Grade School from 1981-87. She admitted her present interest may have been the result of her own mother's involvement while Buhrman was an elementary pupil. Marty (Gott) Buhrman also attended Emerson as a child.
"My mom was the lunch lady, so I saw her every day," she said with a laugh. "Plus she was my room mom."
As an adult, Buhrman recalled her education and parents' involvement was key to her own success as a student.
"I was raised with high expectations, not just by my parents, but the educators here at Emerson as well," she said.
Although Buhrman had earned a degree in social work and was working in environments that utilized her education, the siren song of the classroom was calling. She confessed, "I wanted to be in the front line of education."
She began volunteering at Emerson when her son Izaiah, now 7, enrolled. It was the combination of volunteering and parenting that spurred Buhrman into moving toward becoming a teacher. She returned to school and began working on a degree in elementary education.
"It's easy to send my child here," Buhrman said. "I had a quality education here so I was confident he would have the same."
With school and expecting a second son in April, Buhrman has cut back the volunteering time to once a week -- sometimes in the morning and sometimes in the afternoon.
"I try to balance the time I'm here so Izaiah doesn't think I'm looking over his shoulder," she said.
Buhrman felt strongly about giving back "to a building that had given me so much as a child."
"It's a double bonus for me to help out here with Izaiah here," she added. "But there's not enough parent volunteers. They could always use more."
It's also been a personal plus for her as a potential educator.
"I can see the academic status of the students as well as network with a great bunch of professionals here," Buhrman said. "It's given me hope as a parent, former student and future educator."
Buhrman praised the school's philosophy of community, family and welcoming people with open arms.
"They provide such a strong support system for me personally," she noted. "As a single mom, I need that because I'm determined I'm going to do a good job raising my sons; it's just that I'm doing the job of two parents."
Buhrman was particularly introspective during the interview. On Wednesday, she turns 31, "my golden birthday," she pointed out and will coincidentally be 31 weeks along in her pregnancy.
"I look around here (at Emerson) and just realize I've come full circle," she said. "It's reassuring to see there's something good still here."
Joanne Fox may be reached at (712) 293-4247 or joannefox@siouxcityjournal.com.
VITA
Name: Tina Buhrman
Hometown: Sioux City
Education: 1994 graduate of West High School; awarded a bachelor's degree in social work from Bellevue University in 2001; currently pursuing an elementary education degree from the University of Northern Iowa with an anticipated graduation date of December 2007
Professional: previously employed with Winnebago Youth Facility, Sanford Center and as shelter director at Crittenton Center for Shelter and Youth Development; now employed with the Sioux City Community School District's Office of Indian Education
Personal: one son Izaiah, another son due in April
How she's making a difference: by volunteering at Emerson Elementary School
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Sally wrote on Jan 31, 2007 7:08 AM:
25 year teacher? wrote on Jan 30, 2007 2:42 PM:
gee! wrote on Jan 30, 2007 2:38 PM:
As A Teacher - This Is A Helicopter Mom wrote on Jan 30, 2007 10:57 AM:
DSM friend wrote on Jan 30, 2007 8:27 AM: