A Column by David Holmquist, Criterion Advisor
Teaching, a worthy profession and career choice
I have been a licensed educator for 26 years, and in that quarter century, my profession has seen many changes, from the classes students take to the ways that teachers teach to the ways that public schools are funded. In my first year of teaching, for example, the internet didn’t exist, no students owned a cell phone, and no classrooms had white boards.The most-advanced technologies we had were VCRs and Apple IIe computers. Books, newspapers, and magazines were our main sources of information.
Craig’s policies were different, too. The grading scale was 93-86-79-72, with anything below a 72 an F. Grades in honors classes were weighted, and AP classes were few. In our seven-period day, classes were 53 minutes long, four days a week, and 50 minutes on Wednesdays to accommodate a 15-minute advisory period.
While I remember these days, I write not to express my nostalgia for them nor to wish for their return. I mention them only because they show how much has changed. Yet despite all the changes in technologies, methods, and curriculum, teaching remains a person-to-person profession that requires teachers to build relationships and to motivate learners to rise above their limitations. The best parts of my job are getting to know my students and believing that I can help to shape their self-image and their choices.
My student teacher this semester, Ms. Kelsey Norton, reminds me of that. She stands at the doorstep of a career as a professional educator, and while she still has much to learn (don’t we all?), she possesses the passion, caring, and growth mindset that reside in the heart of every outstanding educator. She wants to make a difference, which is the reason every one of us enters the profession.
Despite the criticism and negativity too often hurled at public education, teaching remains a worthy profession and solid career option. Our UW schools have excellent professional preparation programs, and education is a field that continues to have a strong demand. Teaching is the perfect career for people who are creative, energetic, and compassionate. It pays fairly well, perhaps not as much as other jobs requiring similar education and training, but enough to support a decent lifestyle. Of course, it isn’t for everyone. It requires patience. It requires an enjoyment of learning. It requires creativity. Most importantly, it requires its practitioners to enjoy spending time around young people.
As seniors plan their post-high school lives, I urge them to consider a career in education, for it is a path to a rewarding life.
If you are a senior--or even a freshman, sophomore, or junior--interested in a career in teaching, you should have a talk with one or more of your teachers. You will receive lots of information to help you decide if becoming a teacher is right for you. As the world continues to change, teaching remains the perfect career for people who have a passion for learning, a supply of creative energy, and a desire to make the world a better place by building relationships with young people.
Not a bad way to live a meaningful life.
Craig’s policies were different, too. The grading scale was 93-86-79-72, with anything below a 72 an F. Grades in honors classes were weighted, and AP classes were few. In our seven-period day, classes were 53 minutes long, four days a week, and 50 minutes on Wednesdays to accommodate a 15-minute advisory period.
While I remember these days, I write not to express my nostalgia for them nor to wish for their return. I mention them only because they show how much has changed. Yet despite all the changes in technologies, methods, and curriculum, teaching remains a person-to-person profession that requires teachers to build relationships and to motivate learners to rise above their limitations. The best parts of my job are getting to know my students and believing that I can help to shape their self-image and their choices.
My student teacher this semester, Ms. Kelsey Norton, reminds me of that. She stands at the doorstep of a career as a professional educator, and while she still has much to learn (don’t we all?), she possesses the passion, caring, and growth mindset that reside in the heart of every outstanding educator. She wants to make a difference, which is the reason every one of us enters the profession.
Despite the criticism and negativity too often hurled at public education, teaching remains a worthy profession and solid career option. Our UW schools have excellent professional preparation programs, and education is a field that continues to have a strong demand. Teaching is the perfect career for people who are creative, energetic, and compassionate. It pays fairly well, perhaps not as much as other jobs requiring similar education and training, but enough to support a decent lifestyle. Of course, it isn’t for everyone. It requires patience. It requires an enjoyment of learning. It requires creativity. Most importantly, it requires its practitioners to enjoy spending time around young people.
As seniors plan their post-high school lives, I urge them to consider a career in education, for it is a path to a rewarding life.
If you are a senior--or even a freshman, sophomore, or junior--interested in a career in teaching, you should have a talk with one or more of your teachers. You will receive lots of information to help you decide if becoming a teacher is right for you. As the world continues to change, teaching remains the perfect career for people who have a passion for learning, a supply of creative energy, and a desire to make the world a better place by building relationships with young people.
Not a bad way to live a meaningful life.
As the holidays approach, let us give thanks for our gifts (november 2016)
In the depths of the Civil War, the bloody conflict that tore America in two, President Abraham Lincoln declared a national day of thanksgiving. In his decree of October 20, 1864, our 16th President declared the last Thursday of November “a day of thanksgiving and praise to Almighty God, the beneficent Creator and Ruler of the Universe.” With the outcomes of the war and of his re-election in serious doubt--and with them, the fate of our nation--Lincoln declared a day of thanks.
Talk about an optimist!
As the holiday season approaches and with our election of a new president, we should all be optimists. Yes, the campaign was hard-fought, a fact that both President-Elect Trump and Secretary Clinton acknowledged. Despite their differences, both pledged to focus on looking forward and bringing our country together. They expressed optimism. So should we.
After all, we Americans are pretty fortunate. Our nation is prosperous. We are united in our love for our country and of our many freedoms. Best of all, our nation is a place where anyone can become anything. Our free and innovative young people have more opportunities today than ever before to live life as they want, to be who they want to be, to go as far as they allow their talent and drive to take them. We live in extraordinary and historic times.
Of course, we have problems. Too many kids are hungry. Not enough people have jobs. Our nation is in debt. Climate change threatens our survival. Many of our troops stand in harm’s way. President-elect Donald Trump faces a mountain of challenges. Yet despite the disagreements in the just-concluded election, our nation will experience another peaceful transition of power, and our leaders will do their best to keep our country safe and united. In the meantime, all of us can strive for for peace in our own lives, and we can start by focusing on gratitude and thankfulness.
We can do this by showing small acts of appreciation and kindness. We can express gratitude to our families, our friends, our teachers.
We can accept our classmates, even if they annoy us. We can smile at the cashier and wave to the police officer. We can hold the door for a stranger. We can count our blessings.
Too often it is easy to focus on drama and negativity, to obsess about all that is going wrong in our--or other people’s--lives. Instead, we should be thankful that we attend and work at a school that provides us free breakfast, helps us through almost every difficulty, and showcases inexpensive entertainment (and wasn’t “Into the Woods” fantastic? And for only $10). We can take advantage of opportunities to learn and to grow. Students can take classes in any topic they are interested in. They can apply to any school they want. They can take classes to prepare them for college and careers.
Teachers have dozens of opportunities to grow as professionals, thanks to our school district’s staff development programs. Among their colleagues they can find collaborators, experts, and, most importantly, friends and supporters. So, as Thanksgiving approaches, I urge all of my fellow Craig Cougars to lay down their worries and focus on how fortunate we are for the gifts we have and to express gratitude to our loved ones, to our friends, and to all the people who are looking out for our well-being.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Talk about an optimist!
As the holiday season approaches and with our election of a new president, we should all be optimists. Yes, the campaign was hard-fought, a fact that both President-Elect Trump and Secretary Clinton acknowledged. Despite their differences, both pledged to focus on looking forward and bringing our country together. They expressed optimism. So should we.
After all, we Americans are pretty fortunate. Our nation is prosperous. We are united in our love for our country and of our many freedoms. Best of all, our nation is a place where anyone can become anything. Our free and innovative young people have more opportunities today than ever before to live life as they want, to be who they want to be, to go as far as they allow their talent and drive to take them. We live in extraordinary and historic times.
Of course, we have problems. Too many kids are hungry. Not enough people have jobs. Our nation is in debt. Climate change threatens our survival. Many of our troops stand in harm’s way. President-elect Donald Trump faces a mountain of challenges. Yet despite the disagreements in the just-concluded election, our nation will experience another peaceful transition of power, and our leaders will do their best to keep our country safe and united. In the meantime, all of us can strive for for peace in our own lives, and we can start by focusing on gratitude and thankfulness.
We can do this by showing small acts of appreciation and kindness. We can express gratitude to our families, our friends, our teachers.
We can accept our classmates, even if they annoy us. We can smile at the cashier and wave to the police officer. We can hold the door for a stranger. We can count our blessings.
Too often it is easy to focus on drama and negativity, to obsess about all that is going wrong in our--or other people’s--lives. Instead, we should be thankful that we attend and work at a school that provides us free breakfast, helps us through almost every difficulty, and showcases inexpensive entertainment (and wasn’t “Into the Woods” fantastic? And for only $10). We can take advantage of opportunities to learn and to grow. Students can take classes in any topic they are interested in. They can apply to any school they want. They can take classes to prepare them for college and careers.
Teachers have dozens of opportunities to grow as professionals, thanks to our school district’s staff development programs. Among their colleagues they can find collaborators, experts, and, most importantly, friends and supporters. So, as Thanksgiving approaches, I urge all of my fellow Craig Cougars to lay down their worries and focus on how fortunate we are for the gifts we have and to express gratitude to our loved ones, to our friends, and to all the people who are looking out for our well-being.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Return of golden couple proves the timelessness of school spirit (October 2016)
The year 1966 was significant for reasons great and small.
It was the year when Medicare took effect and when the Supreme Court ruled in Miranda vs. Arizona, which gave us the famous words “You have the right to remain silent….”
It was the year of the Beatles’ last live concert and the first of the television series “Star Trek.”
It was also the last year of Janesville Senior High School. One year later, Janesville would have two high schools: Craig and Parker, their names assigned by the flip of a coin (for more on that, see page 7). After 1966, Janesville Senior High School, its mascot, the Bluebirds, and newspaper, the Blue Jay, would be no more, replaced by Joseph A. Craig, the Cougars, and the Criterion. Another event in 1966 was the crowning of Steve and Ann Nickols as Homecoming king and queen, the last royalty to represent Janesville Senior High School.
On Friday, September 23, fifty years later, they returned to their alma mater to crown this year’s king and queen.
They also returned as lifelong Janesville residents who have been married for 46 years. “We were high school sweethearts,” said Ann.
Steve attended St. Norbert College, where he played football, and Ann went to UW-Madison. “We stayed in touch by writing letters and calling each other on Sunday nights after 8 when the rates were cheaper,” she said.
They were married in 1970. Steve still works as a CPA and Ann, now retired, worked as a social worker for Rock County. Their three children--Kurt (who co-owns Nickols Accounting with his dad), Katie (a Spanish teacher at Madison Memorial), and Ben--all graduated from Craig and were standout students and athletes.“Katie played on the first girls soccer team that Craig had,” Ann said.
Kurt and Ben have five children between them. All attend St. John Vianney and will no doubt be Craig Cougars in a few short years.
Besides crowning this year’s king and queen, Nick Cramer and Grace Schmaling, the couple also rode in the parade as grand marshalls. “It was very unexpected,” said Ann of the honor. “Monte (Phillips) called and asked if Steve and I would be willing to be there. We were very excited.”
This year’s parade circled the neighborhood surrounding Craig, passing residents and Roosevelt Elementary students, who were joined by students from St. John’s and St. Paul’s. “Our grandkids were on the parade route. That was exciting,” Ann said. In 1966, the Homecoming parade followed a different route than today. “Back then the parade went through downtown, down Milwaukee then to the stadium. More people were out and about then,” said Ann.
Homecoming is a time to celebrate school spirit and to enjoy the privilege we all have of being Cougars and attending an outstanding school. The return of Craig’s golden Homecoming couple proves that school spirit lives after high school.
It was the year when Medicare took effect and when the Supreme Court ruled in Miranda vs. Arizona, which gave us the famous words “You have the right to remain silent….”
It was the year of the Beatles’ last live concert and the first of the television series “Star Trek.”
It was also the last year of Janesville Senior High School. One year later, Janesville would have two high schools: Craig and Parker, their names assigned by the flip of a coin (for more on that, see page 7). After 1966, Janesville Senior High School, its mascot, the Bluebirds, and newspaper, the Blue Jay, would be no more, replaced by Joseph A. Craig, the Cougars, and the Criterion. Another event in 1966 was the crowning of Steve and Ann Nickols as Homecoming king and queen, the last royalty to represent Janesville Senior High School.
On Friday, September 23, fifty years later, they returned to their alma mater to crown this year’s king and queen.
They also returned as lifelong Janesville residents who have been married for 46 years. “We were high school sweethearts,” said Ann.
Steve attended St. Norbert College, where he played football, and Ann went to UW-Madison. “We stayed in touch by writing letters and calling each other on Sunday nights after 8 when the rates were cheaper,” she said.
They were married in 1970. Steve still works as a CPA and Ann, now retired, worked as a social worker for Rock County. Their three children--Kurt (who co-owns Nickols Accounting with his dad), Katie (a Spanish teacher at Madison Memorial), and Ben--all graduated from Craig and were standout students and athletes.“Katie played on the first girls soccer team that Craig had,” Ann said.
Kurt and Ben have five children between them. All attend St. John Vianney and will no doubt be Craig Cougars in a few short years.
Besides crowning this year’s king and queen, Nick Cramer and Grace Schmaling, the couple also rode in the parade as grand marshalls. “It was very unexpected,” said Ann of the honor. “Monte (Phillips) called and asked if Steve and I would be willing to be there. We were very excited.”
This year’s parade circled the neighborhood surrounding Craig, passing residents and Roosevelt Elementary students, who were joined by students from St. John’s and St. Paul’s. “Our grandkids were on the parade route. That was exciting,” Ann said. In 1966, the Homecoming parade followed a different route than today. “Back then the parade went through downtown, down Milwaukee then to the stadium. More people were out and about then,” said Ann.
Homecoming is a time to celebrate school spirit and to enjoy the privilege we all have of being Cougars and attending an outstanding school. The return of Craig’s golden Homecoming couple proves that school spirit lives after high school.