Five decades of inspiring creativity in students
About Me: Pamela Zimba
Maryanne Bonaventura, my ninth-grade English teacher, fanned the flames of my love of literature into a burning passion. With her as a role model and mentor, I experienced the artistry of a gifted teacher. Wanting to inspire and to dig deep into the transformative power of literature and writing with students, as she had in her classroom at Columbia Heights Junior High, I became a teacher.
What I always kept front and center was an emotional connection to my students. They knew I cared about them. I was the coach on the sidelines and the director in the wings, exhorting them to achieve, championing their causes, and applauding their efforts. A talented writer I mentored is accepted at the Arts High School. A girl who has been on the run stops by every morning for a hug to help her through the day. There were times when I exchanged friendly letters with each student as a way to make a personal connection. Students from underrepresented cultures were “seen” in my classroom. Dreamcatchers assembled; Hmong story cloths drawn. El Dia de los Muertos brought to life in the classroom. Pink and Say read. The Harlem Renaissance had star billing.
Early on I crafted a recipe, if you will, for “How to design an engaging lesson.” Start with Creativity, which became a hallmark of my curriculum. Spark Curiosity. As I learned about best learning practices, I added Learning Styles: Auditory, Visual, Kinesthetic to the mix. Research showed the power of The Arts: Music, Art, Performance to enhance learning. (Yes, even in a Language Arts classroom.) I added them to the mix. During my career that spanned five decades, William Gardner introduced Multiple Intelligences. Multicultural literature and Student Activist experiences mattered. I added them to the mix. Spice it up with strategies for the gifted and talented.
Then I would construct a template for a successful learning environment: some difficult assignments, some easy; some group work, some individual; some pencil-paper tasks, lots of hands-on, experiential, real-life learning. . .seasoned with humor. Within that lesson plan is a “hook” for just about every student. A place for everyone to shine.
From year to year I tweaked lessons to keep them current and relevant to meet the needs, as best I could, of the seventh graders and, for a few years, of eighth graders, too, at Northdale Middle School. In 1996, Good Apple, a division of Simon & Schuster, published Get Into the Act!, a book of curriculum that I authored with my sister, Dianne Sullivan. 1997 brought the publication of Bring Books to Life! (Good Apple). We founded QUALITY CURRICULUM and self-published curriculum from 1995 – 2003. The next year Menagerie Publishing (2004) printed Class Act, Fun with Fractals, and Kid Spies. After retiring I established THE KALEIDOSCOPE OF LEARNING (KOL) store at TeachersPayTeachers in 2015.
Over the years I received awards and special selections.
1990 THE GOLDEN APPLE Achiever Award from Ashland Oil
1992 EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION from the Anoka County Chamber of Commerce
1993 THE GOLDEN APPLE Achiever Award from Ashland Oil
2001 MN ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE FOUNDATION Achievement Award
2004 One of 30 teachers nationwide: CHILD LABOR CONFERENCE, U of Iowa
2005 EDUCATION MINNESOTA HUMAN RIGHTS Award: Child Labor activism
2007 TOP (Teacher Outstanding Performance) Award
Always I have been graced and humbled by the recognition for doing what I love!
After my childhood in Columbia Heights, MN, I graduated from the University of Minnesota with a bachelor’s degree and later a master’s in English Education, proud to be a Golden Gopher as are my two sons. Picture me an avid reader, film fan, theatregoer, and dancer. Grab my attention with puzzles and riddles and puns and travel. Know me as a loyal sister and friend.
Finally, I continue to research topics from plastic to Japanese tea ceremonies for future THE KALEIDOSCOPE OF LEARNING (KOL) units.