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Glenda Green, the reading coordinator for the New Canaan elementary schools, drives an hour from her home in Woodbury to New Canaan every morning and an hour back every afternoon. Though she could do her job in many school districts, Green has stuck with New Canaan for 21 years.
"It's such a great place to work. It's worth the commute because it's a stimulating environment," she said.
Green coordinates the reading programs for all three elementary schools. Her office at East Elementary School is lined with bins of books in categories such as "FUNNY!" and "Strong Characters." On top of a bookshelf sits a stuffed dog which a student gave Glenda after her dog died a few years ago.
"You really see so much when you watch kids and talk to them," said Green, who loves working with students and other teachers. "You really see a community of readers that you develop, not only with the children, but with the staff."
To keep up with the latest children's literature, Green set a goal to read 10 new children's novels this summer. "They need to see that we're readers, too," she said. She has finished seven books so far, giving each one a personal review and a grade. Green said her favorite children's book is "Into the Land of the Unicorns" by Bruce Coville.
For the new school year, Green is implementing a new assessment system for elementary students to test specific skills such as letter recognition. Still, she said, teaching children to read is an art and a science. "That's always our challengeto figure out how to move everybody forward," Green said. "There's so much that goes into learning how to read, and reading is about thinking."
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