Teaching patience

Claire Murray
November 18, 2009
Filed under Profiles

“There is no typical day,” Libby McNamara, a looping teacher for Jenks East Elementary, said. “There is never a dull moment.”

Teachers have it hard enough with a class of active children, but Libby McNamara has to deal with twice as many as “normal” teachers and they all have some sort of mental disability to add to the mixture. She laughs at the question, “Is there ever a quiet moment?”

Libby McNamara, a Bishop Kelley graduate of 2002, never thought she would be a teacher.

“I never would’ve considered this in high school. I wanted to be the person with a power suit and coffee with a corporate job.”

Even though Libby didn’t consider teaching, her mother, Mrs. McNamara, saw instant potential.

“From the minute I saw Libby manage her three brothers and tried to take over my job at home, I she had a special gift and always hoped it would be with education,” Mrs. McNamara said.

Now that Libby is a teacher, she loves her job, but it is no easy task. She says the hardest part of her job is keeping her cool and her patience, when having to restrain or remove a child from her room.

A teaching friend, Carly Creekmore, has seen Libby on more than a few bad days.

“Even though Libby was frustrated she never lost her cool.  She is always able to remain in control of herself.  She may become more firm with her students or make them lose privileges however, her words and tone are kind.”

Mrs. McNamara has also seen a good amount of Libby’s off days.

“Libby is really good to recognize when she’s at her breaking point and will go exercise, spend time with her dog or call friends so re-energize herself.”

The challenges for Libby are great, but she “gives her all to her third graders and some days she shares certainly has it challenges.   Her students are extremely important to her and really devotes her energies each one,” her mother said.

Libby McNamara works hard to keep a good relationship with her students over her two years with them.

“Her students adore her.  We do book buddies with her class every other week and you can tell that her students respect and love her.  Not only do they respond well to what she has to say but they are also eager to share their experiences and stories with her.  They like to talk with her and tell her about their home life, school, friends, family or anything they find of interest,” Carly Creekmore said.

Everyone that knows Libby thinks that she will be teaching for some time.

“I can see Libby working with children for a long time.  I know that she would eventually like to expand her options through continuing education or becoming another figure in the school such as a CRI but I can’t picture her leaving the school for a corporate position,” Carly Creekmore said.

Mrs. McNamara agrees.

“I do think she will keep this job for a while.  She takes her commitment to her students seriously and knows how important education is for her children and all youth today,” she said.