Dr . Joan Gipe and Taylor Patrick .
experiences with that pet rabbit . He would draw a picture , and we would write about that . Comprehension wasn ’ t a problem , because it was his story . He could decode and use context .” Later , the boy learned to read words from flash cards , and eventually , he was reading and writing . The satisfaction of seeing the child succeed sealed her fate , Gipe recalled . “ That ’ s what convinced me that this was what I wanted to do ,” she said .
Gipe related her story on a winter afternoon in early 2016 during a visit to the UK College of Education . That ’ s where the two stories converge , with Gipe , now a two-time retiree , helping to forge a path for Patrick through a fellowship she established in the Curriculum and Instruction Department .
Gipe attributed it all to a persistent love of teaching others to unlock the potential and power of literacy .
After a stint as the itinerant reading teacher for Scott County , Ky ., schools , Gipe moved to Indiana , where she taught fifth grade by day . By night she sought a Ph . D . in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis in literacy at Purdue University .
The school where she taught had a diverse student population . The district included both the university area and farmland . Some children couldn ’ t read ,
“ I realized I could reach more children that way , because I could help their teachers understand literacy .”
while others were immersed in somewhat complex literature . Gipe used what she learned in her graduate and doctoral studies , and her experience as a literacy teacher , to guide fellow teachers at her school . Impressed with her skills , Gipe ’ s principal and colleagues encouraged her to teach at the university level .
“ I realized I could reach more children that way , because I could help their teachers understand literacy ,” Gipe said .
Gipe went on to teach at the University of New Orleans , where she worked with education majors who were preparing for student teaching . The public school system in New Orleans was not ideal , Gipe noted , but it was a good environment for someone with a commitment to improving literacy among struggling students . “ One of the things I am most proud of is taking those university students into the field and helping them learn how to work with children ,” Gipe said .
In 1998 , Gipe retired . Temporarily .
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