Encouraging a love of reading

SEELEY LAKE – Pattie Crum is quick to say this is her first year of teaching. However, along with being a fresh slate as the new second grade teacher at Seeley Lake Elementary School, she also brings with her a breadth of experience. Crum looks forward to supporting her students in learning, building their self esteem and watching them progress socially and academically so they are more than prepared for third grade.

Crum has always wanted to be a teacher. She loved teaching her own children to read and seeing the satisfaction on their face when they could conquer a book.

"Kids are given a lot of information but not necessarily the support to follow it up - they don't necessarily feel loved and encouraged," said Crum. "I've always wanted to be the one to give them the stability and make it fun and engaging for them."

Crum taught preschool from 1997-2003 at Battleground School District in Clark County in Vancouver, Wash. She started pursuing a degree in education in 1999 at Clark College in Vancouver, Wash. However after finishing her prerequisites in 2001 she had to quit due to life circumstances.

Crum returned to school and she completed her bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Phoenix in 2015. The Crum family moved to Seeley Lake in April 2018 after living off the grid in the Dearborn area between Great Falls and Helena. Crum worked as a full time substitute teacher at SLE during the 2018-2019 school year.

Crum spent nearly three weeks with the first grade class this spring. When she heard there was an opening in second grade she applied.

"I thought I could fill the need. I didn't want the kids to be with someone they didn't know," said Crum. "I'm familiar with their routines and their needs."

Crum applied for her provisional license in July. She is currently enrolled in Western Governors University for a Masters degree in Education Theory. SLE hired her a week before school started on a three-year provisional license which she hopes to complete as quickly as possible.

Crum enjoys teaching all ages but she really likes second grade. She is new to being a teacher and they are new to being students. They are also so impressionable and celebrate the little things.

"We are all blank slates. I'm giving them the foundation," said Crum. "It is super cool to be able to teach them to read, to sound out their words and see their accomplishments."

Crum said she brings positivity, enthusiasm, patience and understanding. Because her father worked for the Army Corps of Engineers, she attended 14 different schools growing up and can relate to "the new kid."

Crum said her degree in psychology helps her understand where her students are coming from and identify if they need extra help. She laughed when she said her three years in law enforcement with the U.S. Air Force helps her lay down the law in the classroom.

"I am strict when I need to be but I'm fair and I let them have their time too," said Crum.

Crum created a Reading Tree to help decorate her reading corner. Each time the students complete a book with her they get to color a leaf and put the title of the book, their name and date. It has turned into a great motivator for students who otherwise didn't want to read.

"It's nice that I'm seeing the confidence," said Crum.

Crum also assigns her students daily jobs. One of the jobs is a reporter who gathers positive and negative happenings throughout the day and reports to the class during the press conference at the end of the day.

"The whole idea is to get rid of tattling. Everyone goes to the reporter," said Crum. "The reporters love their jobs. But then we get the nice talk about what she should have done different and people get the praise that they deserve."

Crum said her biggest challenge has been managing behaviors. During the second week of school she introduced three color teams. The leader of the team makes sure everyone in their team is quiet. If they are all quiet during that work period, the team earns a bead. When they get 100 beads, they get a pizza party. Crum also gives beads for good deeds.

"We are trying to focus on the positive," said Crum.

When she is not working, Crum enjoys anything outdoors but especially hiking, hunting and fishing. She also loves spending time with her husband Jay and six children. Since Jay is the Blackhawks head football coach, they enjoy spending a lot of time with the team.