Pinpoints Pinpoints Magazine Spring 2020 | Page 13

“ I TEACH IN A
TREE
”
HOUSE
Janette Moloney has taught in a variety of rooms throughout The Lexington School, but she’s
never taught in a treehouse before. At TLS since 1991, she’s also seen a range of new
projects, but she’s never seen anything like the Academy Center before. In fact, the first
time she saw it, it took her breath away. She says, “I was amazed at how stunningly
beautiful the whole entrance was. It was dark outside, and the lights were on. I
immediately said, ‘I teach in a treehouse.’”
She and her treehouse colleagues, Carol Bertram,
Elizabeth Taylor, and Tracy Dawahare, have classrooms
near the fourth and fifth grade Learning Center suite.
“We function very much as a team. Because there are
glass walls and doors, we can see each others’ students.
It’s easy to monitor our area, so we don’t need to get
subs. We also have a lot more storage this year, which
is a great help.” Prior to the new space, there were
temporary divider walls for fourth and fifth grades, and
the noise level had been distracting. More independent
readers needed a quieter atmosphere for silent reading,
and the young ones needed more oral instruction.
Headphones and hands over ears became de rigueur.
Mrs. Moloney is quick to explain, “Nobody was
doing anything wrong; it was just the nature of the
beast.” Now each room seems soundproof, removing
distractions for Mrs. Moloney and her students.
Mrs. Moloney is an Instructional Specialist; many
call her an “Inspirational” Specialist. As part of The
Learning Center, she teaches reading and math to
nine fourth graders and nine fifth graders in the
support program. Her largest group at a time is
five, with focus on skills specific to each student.
Five years ago when Mrs. Moloney began with The
Learning Center, she named her class “Success,”
an appropriate continuation of the middle school
moniker of Kelly Telech’s support classes.
In addition to TLC time, Mrs. Moloney is also a
middle school teacher of students not in TLC. She
gives individual attention to sixth through eighth
graders with reading, spelling, and other topics
that core teachers bring to her attention. She says,
“It’s very rewarding to see their growth. With sixth
graders, I especially enjoy watching their progress as
they mature and become more motivated learners.”
From her treehouse, Mrs. Moloney sees her
students are firmly rooted in the ground at TLS.
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