Dorothy Holmberg, Britt HS Teacher

I came across a delightful book titled Tributes to Iowa Teachers, edited by William L. Sherman in 1996. The book contains teacher tributes by Iowans and former Iowans. Britt High School teacher Dorothy Holmberg was honored in a testimony by Don Muhm, Farm Editor (Retired), The Des Moines Register of Des Moines, IA. I thought you might like to read it......

"Several teachers (and professors) stick out in my mind as "favorites" - those who you felt really cared about you and learning and what might happen in your life. To them, teaching was more than a job - much more. And it showed.
One very special teacher was Dorothy Holmberg, who came from Decorah during World War II to teach at Britt in northern Iowa. A Luther College grad, as I recall.
At the time, I was a farm boy with a most uncertain future. I knew I loved to read and write, received good grades in English, but I didn't know where such things would take me. Somehow, in her classes, writing as a career became a distant hope. Miss Holmberg's unbridled enthusiasm (in the classroom or directing the junior and senior class plays) sort of rubbed off on some of us.
In the end, I was to spend my career putting words together, for nearly 40 years, on daily newspapers in Marshalltown, Omaha, and Des Moines.
Her influence came during a critical growing-up time in my life. And, I never forgot her.
P.S. Nearly half a century later, I still remember the name of our senior class play, for which she picked me for the lead role. It was Grandad Steps Out."

This week I will be in the West Hancock district on Tuesday and Thursday. On Tuesday (Day 5)I will meet with K-Geelan and 2-Glawe. The Kindergartners will listen to City Dog, Country Frog written by Mo Willems and illustrated by Jon J. Muth. The 2nd graders will learn about books that have won the Caldecott Award for illustrations. They will listen to the 1949 winner The Big Snow by Berta and Elmer Hader.
On Thursday (Day 1) I will meet with 3-Zuehl and we will review the Dewey Decimal System used to classify nonfiction library materials.

Until next time...
Mrs. T Reiter, K-12 Teacher Librarian