The EdUCater Team Insights
Connecting with MO Educators to Ensure All Students Thrive As Literate Digital Age Citizens!
By Marsha Rich, Client Care Coordinator for The EdUCater Team Books have always been important to me. As a child, reading wasn’t debated or encouraged: it was just something the whole family did. We read because nothing else provided the fantastic experiences we found in our books. Books took us on extraordinary adventures—all over the world, under the sea, back in time, and sometimes into outer space. We went everywhere in our books. I knew that when I grew up and became a mom, I’d want my kids to have these experiences too. When a friend told me about a tradition she started with her children when they were just toddlers, I couldn’t wait to adopt it for my own family. This is how The 24 Books of Christmas became a tradition at my house, too. In the beginning, when we couldn’t afford to buy new books, I would scour library sales, yard sales, and consignment stores looking for great children’s books in good condition. I even asked my friends and family to give me the ones their kids had outgrown. Every year, I would slowly collect the 23 I needed, wrap them in bright paper, and place them under the tree. The children would open one of the 23 books each night leading up to Christmas Eve. Our family would gather around as I read it out loud, and at the end, the child who chose the book would get to keep it for their own. These weren’t just Christmas books we were reading. They were adventure stories and books on science, history, and famous people. Some were just fun books that put a smile on everyone’s face. The 24th book every year was always the same: The Night Before Christmas. Even now, with my younger children who are 11 and 17 and the oldest is already out on her own, we keep with this tradition. It's a special time we all look forward to. My kids find as much joy in their simple children’s books now as they did when they were little. They talk about how they want to continue this tradition with their own children someday. For my children, as for me, reading is an adventure. They love any book that takes them to far-away places and shows them something new. I’m happy to know that The 24 Books of Christmas will be part of their lives for years to come.
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A Post from Carla Nieman, Founder of The EdUCater Team When I started The EdUCater Team in 1998, I was driven by a strong sense of purpose: I wanted to support teachers and help students thrive as literate, digital-age citizens. I believed then, as I do now, that working together, Missouri teachers and The EdUCater Team can change the lives of children for the better. My passion for education originates from an unlikely source—a woman who made a difference in my mother’s life, one that would finally break the cycle of generational poverty: Eleanor Roosevelt. Eleanor Roosevelt’s visit to my mom’s “school” during the Great Depression changed not only my mom’s life but also the trajectory of mine. Let me back up. My mother, Patty Zirkle, was born to a generationally poor 15-year-old in the Ozark Mountains during the Great Depression. Her father, a miner, spent all day underground. Opportunities didn’t abound in the hollers, but like many Midwesterners, my grandparents were hard-scrabble and willing to work tirelessly to provide for their families. Eventually, though, my grandparents uprooted their family to seek better-paying jobs, leaving behind their close-knit and supportive community in the Ozarks. When WWII began, they joined thousands of other migratory workers looking for employment in factories and shipyards across the Midwest and Pacific Northwest. Like Rosie the Riveter, my grandmother joined my grandfather in becoming a welder. With both of her parents working in the shipyards, my mother became one of many very young children in need of attention, nourishment, and engagement. Many of these children lacked extended family support systems and were in danger of neglect. The communities surrounding the shipyards created what they called “schools” to look after these children, though they offered little in the way of education. Similar to others with backgrounds of poverty and trauma, my mother wasn’t one to bring attention to herself or her upbringing. So, many years later, when she offhandedly mentioned “a very important lady in a very fancy hat” who came to visit her classroom when she was young, I was curious. The “important lady,” it turned out, was Eleanor Roosevelt. She had come to the childcare center to better understand the shipyard families’ migration and education needs—or, as the teacher put it to my mom, because “You are all so important.” My mom recalled it was the first time she felt important. She carried this feeling with her the rest of her life, even though, with typical Midwestern humility, she didn't think the story unique or noteworthy. My mother grew up to become a teacher and taught at many levels, including middle school and college. She also made sure there were plenty of books in our home, that we talked about what we read, and that we understood the importance of working hard. She grasped the power of education to alter and improve my future. This history and lineage are my WHY.Eleanor Roosevelt was one of a long line of policymakers and educators whose work impacted my mom’s life for the better and forever altered the trajectory of our family.
That trajectory includes my lifelong commitment to helping teachers like my mom. Since 1998, I’ve been helping educators find the resources they need to effectively and inspirationally develop readers and writers in Missouri classrooms. Children need to feel seen. When kids are successful in school and believe they’re smart and important, lives and generational cycles can change. Educators, policymakers, and even book publishers all play a role in this equation. Our democracy depends upon it. Like the “very important lady” whose visit had such an impact on my mother, I strive to support Missouri educators so that together we can help empower our state’s children. The EdUCater Team "caters" to Missouri school districts' needs for high quality instructional materials, both print and digital. We represent a variety of educational publishing companies in the state of MO, as well as provide professional learning opportunities. We care about ensuring teacher and student success. The process entails ensuring effective resource and digital trials, professional learning, and customer care. Creating a wow experience, one of our core values, guides our daily work and keeps our clients coming back year after year. About Carla
Let's Work Together!We work with your curriculum selection committee members as well as district administration to learn about your school, understand your current challenges, and match your students’ unique needs with innovative curriculum solutions for your classrooms. Experts by your side!We are experts in the fields of education and curriculum development. We offer a wide breadth of resources, and will work with you to select and fine-tune curriculum options that are engaging, sustainable, and rigorous. We work with our clients through adoption and beyond. Next StepsIf you'd like to review samples, or you are ready to see how The EdUCater Team can support your school or district, contact Carla today!
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