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Harrodsburg man's educational research published

July 14, 2011|By NATALIA RAWLS | ndrawls@yahoo.com

HARRODSBURG — Darell Rickmers never imagined anything he had done would ever be published, but there it was, in print, in his hands.

Rickmers received the book titled “Literacy For All Students: An Instructional Framework for Closing the Gap” last week, which included research he conducted while working on an educational grant in the summer of 2008 with the Center for Culturally Relevant Pedagogy at Georgetown College in Georgetown.

“One day, I went to see Dr. Rebecca Powell who was my faculty adviser when I began my master’s,” Rickmers said. “We began talking about what I wanted to do with my master’s and the direction I wanted to go. Initially, I wanted to get my reading endorsement, then go for an English as a Second Language endorsement. She mentioned that there was an opening to work on a grant that focused on literacy from a culturally responsive perspective, and asked if I would be interested in working on the grant. So, I agreed.”

Rickmers, a Harrodsburg resident said Powell is one of the editors of the book.

Rickmers believes working on the grant, along with 14 other literacy teachers from various elementary, middle and high schools in the Bluegrass region, was probably the best decision he made as an educator.

“I only thought that the information we presented would just be a guide to help us help our schools move in a more culturally responsive way,” Rickmers said. “The more research I did, the more I implemented in my instruction and saw the effective results not only with students who came from a culturally diverse background, but for all students.”

“I have seen where children from diverse backgrounds are not always treated fairly in an academic setting. I couldn’t stand by and just watch as they moved on and on without any assistance or being placed in a ‘special’ class because of their diversity. Instead, I wanted to be the teacher at my school who stood up for these students and ensured that they had the same equal and quality education as any student in the school had a right to.”

Rickmers does some substitute teaching, and now runs his own tutoring business, Making the Grade.

“I am still working on publicizing my business and trying to get word out about my availability to help students, parents and teachers,” said Rickmers. “Nevertheless, I am grateful for my capital contributors who have provided funding to help me get my business up and running.”

Any schools, districts, teachers, parents or administrators interested in learning more about professional development using “Literacy for All Students” and culturally responsive instruction or Making the Grade tutoring can call Rickmers at (859) 749-1686, e-mail him at makingthegradeconsulting@gmail.com or stop by his booth at the Mercer County Fair, set for July 25-30 at the Mercer County Fairgrounds.

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