Welcoming Our New Media Center Staff to Howard
by Jamaina Canosa
You may have noticed there are a lot of new faces at Howard this year, including in the Media Center. Tyveshe Johnson, media specialist, and Natish Burns, media clerk, are teaming up to keep our technology running smoothly and ensure our research is top notch.
Johnson and Burns have the equipment up and running and are already teaching ELA students about the ins and outs of using school computers, being online safely, and making the most of the school’s resources.
“My favorite thing about working with the kids is that they are able to voice what they want, and I am able to help. And when the problem is solved, students really feel good, and I feel good,” Johnson said.
Johnson attended high school in Twiggs County, where she grew up. She received her undergraduate degree in Psychology from The University of Georgia and her Master’s degree in Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling at Fort Valley State University. She then went on to receive her Specialist degree from Nova Southeastern University.
Johnson joined the school system and worked as a Pre-K coordinator for ten years. Since she loved computers and reading books, she said, she thought, “Maybe I should try library media.”
Johnson became a media specialist at Twiggs County until the school closed in 2006. Then, she came to Bibb County and started working at Bloomfield Middle School. Then, moved to elementary school after that, working at Rice Elementary for one year, until the school combined with another elementary school, which now has become known as Southfield Elementary. She worked there for another 5 years. Johnson said she was given a great opportunity to be interviewed at Howard High School.
She looked forward to the transition from elementary to high school and has found high students at Howard to be “young adults but still kids at heart.” She added, “It’s so wonderful because in elementary, you have the kids who can’t touch or carry technologies that only adults are responsible for.” But here at Howard, there’s a much higher level of trust and a much greater variety of resources that the students and staff use.
Johnson said she is enjoying working at the school and is especially glad to have Burns, the new media clerk, working side by side with her, as well as the library science students helping her out in the library.
Burns is a football mom of a son, 7, and said her Saturdays are devoted in attending his games. She is also a stepmom of three children, so her life is busy at Howard and at home. She said she is a movie fanatic and is currently watching movies from 1960s, after going in descending order from the 90s, 80s, and 70s. Aside from movies, she loves books, naturally. ClarkeKitchens, one of her library science students, recently persuaded her to finish the Harry Potter series.
“I’m the type of person who has to read the book first before watching the movie.” Burns said.
Burn’s passion for books is what led her to become a librarian. She said that her mom made her read ten books every summer when she was young, and she had stayed on that path.
“I love finding out new things. Plus, reading takes you to a new world.” Burns said.
Burns said she has been impressed in her first weeks at Howard. She loves “the school spirit! Just seeing the kids and teachers who are not in sports just support the team. It’s like ‘Go Huskies!’”
Take some time to get to know these two new additions to Howard and find out what the media center has to offer.
