interview with Pete Springer author of They Call Me Mom

Meet retired teacher Pete Springer author of They Call Me Mom – #readilearn

84 Replies

Today it is my great pleasure to introduce you to Pete Springer. Pete was a classroom teacher for over thirty years. When he retired, he decided to share his experiences and wisdom with others who may be at different stages of their teaching journey. His book is a pleasure to read. He writes from the heart and every teacher will find something within the pages of his book with which they can identify or/and learn from. It will have you nodding your head in agreement, inspire an ‘aha’ moment, make you laugh and make you cry. From when you open the book until you close it, you will know that this is the honest voice of an authentic teacher who made, and continues to make, a positive difference to the lives of others.

About Pete Springer

Hi Pete, welcome to readilearn. Before we begin the interview, please tell us a little about yourself.

I taught elementary school (grades 2-6) for thirty-one years at Pine Hill School in Eureka, California.  I loved everything about being a teacher, and I want to be a role model for the next generation of teachers the way others inspired me to want to become a teacher.  I was a master teacher to four student teachers.  I was chosen for the Excellence in Teaching Award in 2006.  That is an annual award recognizing ten top teachers in the county.  I belong to the Humboldt County Children’s Author Festival Committee which brings in twenty-five nationally known children’s authors to speak to children in over eighty schools in the county.  My future goal is to write books for middle-grades.

About the book They Call Me Mom — the blurb

Continue reading: Meet retired teacher Pete Springer author of They Call Me Mom – readilearn

84 thoughts on “Meet retired teacher Pete Springer author of They Call Me Mom – #readilearn”

  1. Pingback: Consider Artsy Winter Trees and Pete Springer’s Thoughts on Success (#SquareUp Day 30) – priorhouse blog

      1. Msdedeng

        High School, only because I have so much respect for elementary teachers who start from scratch. I don’t think I could make a kid understand a concept from zero foundation, with high-schoolers all the hard work has already been done for me 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

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        1. Norah Post author

          That’s interesting. I think the opposite. I love teaching the little ones who are so enthusiastic and keen to learn. I would worry the ‘big’ kids might know more than I do. 🙂

          Liked by 1 person

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  4. roughwighting

    Hi! I wrote a long response on the other site and hope it came through. EXCELLENT interview of an EXCELLENT teacher. I loved every bit of advice Pete gives. Keep going with your middle grade book, Pete!

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. petespringerauthor

      Thanks for the kind comments, Michael. I have noticed how great you are about supporting so many writers. Education works best when teachers, administration, and parents are all on the same page.

      Liked by 2 people

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      1. OIKOS™-Publishing

        I totally agree with the building of communities between teachers, the administration and parents. Thank you for your very kind words, Pete! Its only a little bit of rolling the drums, honouring the work of writers and authors. Enjoy your week! Stay save! Michael

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    2. petespringerauthor

      I appreciate the compliment, Toni, but there are so many others who do incredible things with their students who fly under the radar.

      Liked by 2 people

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  7. petespringerauthor

    Reblogged this on Pete Springer and commented:
    I recently had the extreme pleasure of being interviewed by the Australian educator and blogger, Norah Colvin, about my book, They Call Me Mom. It was great to discuss my book, teaching career, and future goals.

    Norah is one of those people who goes the extra mile for children. She combines her love of teaching and writing by creating original educational materials for students in the most crucial first years of school. While I’d appreciate you reading her interview, I also encourage you to check out her educational site https://www.readilearn.com.au/ as well as her blog. https://norahcolvin.com/. She has so many excellent educational materials for students in kindergarten-second grade.

    Liked by 1 person

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  8. CarolCooks2

    How lovely to see Pete here, Norah, and it’s great to hear everyone sing his praises as he was obviously a great teacher …I think writing books for boys in middle school is a great idea…:)

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. petespringerauthor

      Nice to see you here, Carol. We do seem to run in the same circles. I wish that I was still in the classroom to implement some of your recycling ideas with the kids. They take the ball and run with it when we give them the opportunity.

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      1. CarolCooks2

        I wish you were still teaching kids, Pete that would be a big bonus for the environment..Yes we do keep running into each other don’t we thats one of the joys of blogging…Have a great weekend 🙂

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  9. Patricia Tilton

    What a really GREAT title! With 30 years of experience, he has a lot to share. Enjoyed the interview very much. What a perfect book to recommend to some teachers I know! Thanks for sharing Pete with us! Love his enthusiasm for teaching and life.

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. petespringerauthor

      Thanks for your supportive comments, Patricia. I often read your reviews on children’s books, as that is the direction I’m heading in now. I don’t feel like there are enough books written for middle school-aged boys, and that is the audience I’m going to target.

      Liked by 1 person

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      1. Norah Post author

        Patricia is a great source of information about books to read, Pete.
        I think it’s great that you are writing to fill a gap where you see a need.

        Like

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    1. petespringerauthor

      The blogging world is so similar to the teaching world in that we all look after each other. Wouldn’t it be amazing if that is the way it was everywhere in the world, Jacqui?

      Liked by 1 person

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    1. petespringerauthor

      I’m pretty sure that you know that I think the world of you, Jennie. Somewhere down the road when I’m traveling on the east coast (we’re not doing any traveling these days), I’m hoping to meet you and your husband in person. The world needs more teachers like you because your noble efforts are so far-reaching.

      Liked by 2 people

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    2. petespringerauthor

      Norah did a fabulous job, Anne. I’m curious about your experiences as an annecdotist. Do you tell your stories orally or written? When we used to take our sixth graders camping overnight, we often had a storyteller come to our campfire. It was one of the highlights of the day. I have thought about doing this now that I’m retired.

      Liked by 2 people

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        1. petespringerauthor

          I just signed up for your channel. We used to have a group called The Chamber Readers” who came to our school to do a reader’s theatre. They read and acted out many children’s stories,

          Liked by 1 person

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  13. petespringerauthor

    Thank you so much for the opportunity to be interviewed about my book and career, Norah. Your commitment to education and students is truly admirable. Being in the educational trenches can be so hard at times, but it is worth the effort. One of my favorite sayings is, “We learn to pick our battles. Education is one worth fighting for.”

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. petespringerauthor

      I’m with you on that, Kate. By the way, I love your handle. One of the best qualities that teachers need to be successful is the ability to remain calm. Kids that come from chaotic home environments need a peaceful structure in their lives. School provides that quality for many of our students.

      Liked by 2 people

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    1. petespringerauthor

      Thank you so much, Beth. It’s been a kick to connect with other educators such as yourself from around the world. Keep doing what you’re doing. Your students are lucky to have you as a teacher.

      Liked by 2 people

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  16. Miriam Hurdle

    It’s great to see Pete being featured here, Norah. His pages reminded me so much for my teaching days any where from setting up the classroom to working with students, parents, colleagues and administrators. 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. petespringerauthor

      I appreciate all of your support, Miriam, and for your contributions as a teacher and then administrator. I toyed with becoming a principal at one point, but my first love has always been teaching, and I just didn’t want to give that up.

      Liked by 1 person

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        1. petespringerauthor

          A good administrator can make all the difference within a school. I worked for some fantastic bosses who got the big picture of education.

          Liked by 2 people

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          1. Miriam Hurdle

            The new principal at my former school works too hard to make the teachers work hard her way. She send out email all day long and wants the teachers to check her email every two hours! Crazy! How do they have time unless they check the email during class.

            I still run an after-school tutoring at that school. Something I started when I was a teacher there. So I still go to that school.

            Liked by 2 people

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            1. Norah Post author

              I’d rather have my teachers teaching than checking emails, Miriam. (If I was a principal.)
              How wonderful that you still volunteer at the school. What a great benefit to teachers and students that would be.

              Liked by 1 person

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    2. Norah Post author

      Thank you, Miriam. I’m pleased you enjoyed the interview. Pete is an inspiring teacher. (He responded to your comment, though he was unable to respond to it directly.)

      Liked by 2 people

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  17. Erica/Erika

    Hi Norah, I had heard a bit about Pete Springer this past year. The title of his book tugs at my heartstrings. We all have teachers who have made a difference in our lives, yet I suspect they often do not get the feedback they deserve. My grandchildren call me “Mom” sometimes by accident. I have heard they often call their teachers, “Mom.” Many life lessons in the questions and the answers. This is a wonderful interview filled with gems I can apply to my life.🙂

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. petespringerauthor

      Thank you for your kind comments, Erica. We all have teachers who have impacted us. I became convinced that teaching was my calling after working in several classrooms as a teacher’s aide. It was one of the best decisions I ever made. One of my most significant educational role models (Nancy W.) continues to inspire me to this day. Not only was she one of my master teachers when I was student teaching, but she later became a colleague, my principal, and one of my close friends. She is eighty-two years young, volunteered in schools until last year, and is now in my writer’s group. What a treasure she is!

      Liked by 1 person

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