The School District of Washington is excited to take part in the “STL Teacher Proud” campaign, put on by Education Plus, as an effort to highlight the amazing teachers who choose to serve the St. Louis community and inspire others to join the noble profession of teaching. On the second Tuesday of each month, we’ll highlight a SDOW teacher who chooses to make a difference every day.
Teacher Proud Tuesday – Jana Buchanan, Reading Specialist, Washington West Elementary
Jana Buchanan has been in education for 16 years, all with the School District of Washington. She has been at Washington West for 14 of her 16 years. She’s also been at Clearview Elementary, Augusta Elementary and Labadie Elementary. Before her current role as reading specialist, she’s also served as preschool para, title para, and third- and fourth-grade teacher.
“I was always interested in teaching because I had some pretty amazing teachers growing up. It wasn't until my sister, who is several years younger than me, started to have trouble in reading that I really found my calling. I read Harry Potter books with her, and we talked about the books and what was happening. We had deep discussions about what we were reading and what we thought about it. She started to look forward to reading with me. That was when I knew I wanted to be a teacher, but especially a reading teacher,” Buchanan said.
“I once heard actor and author Henry Winkler say, ‘How you learn has nothing to do with how brilliant you are.’ It's a quote I have on the wall in my classroom. I want to help my students understand that struggling with reading is not uncommon. There are many people who have struggled with reading that went on to do amazing things, and they can too. I believe in them.
“I love helping students who find reading difficult. It feels like a puzzle that needs to be figured out. There are many things that can cause reading difficulties, so there's a lot of investigation and observation to pinpoint what is causing the difficulty. Then I know what strategies to teach the student so they can be successful. Nothing is better than watching a student that I have been working with discover a love for reading and a life-long passion for learning. Reading is such an essential skill that ties into all areas of education and life in general. I am honored to help students unlock the literacy code.
“I am extremely fortunate to work with a team of educators that strive to know more and do better. That's what makes us all better teachers, the support and motivation to keep improving ourselves.”
“Mrs. Jana Buchanan is an excellent teacher and positive presence at Washington West. She is passionate about giving our students the tools they need to be effective readers and successful citizens both inside and outside of the classroom,” said Washington West Elementary Principal Joe Obermark. “She excels at processing through data to determine what a student knows, if any gaps exist, and how to close them. She is a tremendous teammate who is always willing to help a colleague. Jana takes it upon herself to be a lifelong learner and encourages her students to do the same. I'm proud to have Jana Buchanan as member of the team at Washington West.”
