by Jen Myers
(Each month, Wellpoint and Lowell Public Schools honor a Lowell teacher for their exemplary work in the classroom and for going the extra mile to serve as a positive influence in their students’ lives. Wellpoint awards each honoree a $250 gift card to be used for school supplies)In order to understand what happened, you need to understand where it happened.
It is Wednesday morning in Catie Bernier’s first-grade classroom at the Bailey Elementary School and the students are expanding their world view – from Mercury, to Neptune, and beyond.
They are learning that the Sun is a star – a fact that many of these brilliant little people already knew – and that the Earth orbits it.
When explaining what “orbit” means, she gives a relatable example – the time a bee flew around and around or “orbited” her head. The students in unison say “yeah, yeah.” One savvy student says the orbit path is like an invisible rope.
They take a break from the book about the planets to go back to their desks and begin drawing the solar system; a project that will later incorporate some writing.
Jaylious tells his teacher he wants to learn about Science. She explains this is Science, but he says he wants to do “real Science.” Get this kid some googles and a lab coat!
“Science is always a big hit in my room,” says Bernier. “Kids love hands-on activities and making predictions before experiments. They are often just in awe of some of the discoveries.”
Bernier grew up in Chelmsford knowing she wanted to work in a helping profession. She considered becoming a veterinarian, but realized she did not want to see animals sick or scared.
Her mom taught at the Lincoln Elementary School and visiting her classroom made her think about becoming a teacher.
She earned a history degree from UMass Amherst and later a master’s degree in education from Fitchburg State University.
“I was on the fence about teaching high school history or elementary school,” Bernier said. “Luckily at Umass we did some field work at both the elementary and high school level and I realized I was meant to be with elementary school students because I found it easy to connect with them.”
Working in a fourth-grade classroom in Amherst paved her path. She returned to Lowell, teaching at the McAuliffe for a year, followed by seven years at the Murkland and seven years at the Pawtucketville Memorial. Ms. Bernier has been at the Bailey for six years.
“They are all wonderful places to teach but I think the Bailey will be my forever home,” she said. “It felt like home the second I started teaching there.”
Bernier thrives on watching the constant growth of students at the first-grade level, their excitement for learning, life, and experiencing new things.
“I’ve had students see snow for the first time through my classroom window,” she marveled.
She keeps them engaged throughout the day by taking “brain breaks” and letting them move their bodies a bit, and encourages class participation by making learning a team sport
“Sometimes I like to let students discuss with a partner before raising their hands; this can give them some confidence to participate because they have worked together as a team,” Bernier said. “I also try to give kids an opportunity to write on the board when sharing answers. They love using the smartboard and aren’t usually allowed to touch it so it is a pretty big deal when they get to. If a student gets stuck on an answer we wait but then they are allowed to ‘phone a friend’ for help. I think more children participate when they feel less pressure.”
Bernier shares stories about her family – and especially her three cats – with her students. The hijinx of her naughtiest cat, Binx, is a particular favorite subject of the class.
“We listen to each other share stories and opinions about various topics,” she said. “This creates trust and respect which in turn creates better relationships from the students but also with each other. It is important to value each student’s opinions and experiences while creating empathy and acceptance.”
And then there is the humor. There is a lot of laughter in her classroom – especially as a way to cope with and not dwell on making mistakes.
“We often rip our math pages out of our math books at the end of the lesson,” she said. “If a student accidentally rips the page in half I might ask if they fed it to a great white shark or something. That idea just becomes so ridiculous to them they often laugh and feel some ease in the stress of their mistake.”
By taking the sting out of the mistake, students become less risk adverse and more apt to try something new or offer an answer in which they are not 100 percent confident.
“Catie brings levity and humor to even the most challenging situations which makes everyone around her do better and feel better,” said Bailey Principal Kimberley Clements. “Her ability to be vulnerable and share her life with her students allows them to also feel safe to build a strong classroom community. Catie does all of this while also holding high expectations for learning and a strong ability to teach foundational skills and early reading habits. Catie is always a teacher that students come back to see because they know she considers them family!”
When students leave her classroom and go off to second grade, she wants them to take a simple lesson with them: “everyone is unique and worthy of friendship and love. I want them to remember if you are kind and doing your best, that is enough.”
All About Ms. Bernier:
Hobbies: Spending time with my family and friends. Trying new restaurants and going to Maine to sit by the pool, ocean or lake.
Dream Vacation: Going to Italy with my family.
Favorite song to sing in the car: Anything by Noah Kahn.
Favorite meal: Chicken Burrito and a Diet Pepsi
Favorite snack: Cheese and crackers
Favorite Movie: Nightmare Before Christmas
Favorite Book: The Giving Tree
Favorite TV Show: Virgin River
Favorite Fictional Character: Mercy Watson
