Teachers United, a student organization in the UCA College of Education for teacher candidates, recently embarked upon a significant service learning project that has made a world of difference.  Members of Teachers United and faculty in the College of Education learned about Sarah Graham, a recent COE graduate who is teaching elementary school students in Honduras, from Dr. Mary Mosley, retired faculty in the Department of Early Childhood/Special Education.  Sarah’s classroom is in desperate need of children’s books, so TU members selected books from a wish list prepared by Sarah and packed a suitcase for Sarah’s mother to take to Sarah.   The suitcase contained more than 50 books for Sarah and her students.

 Sarah wrote: I tried to sneak the books into my classroom while the students were at lunch, but they were climbing the walls outside to watch through the windows.  I let them in and chaos ensued.  "We are the richest class in the whole world!  We have more books than the library!  I’ve never seen so many books!"  They were dancing in circles, hugging the books, and sneaking them out under their shirts.

Please tell Teachers United that they have made me feel so very rich!  The freedom to read aloud and know that I am not repeating the same books is incredible.  I have shared the books with several other teachers and the library, and the best part is that all other teachers want a library now, too. (None of the teachers had a single children's book in their classrooms when I arrived.) Thanks again!