78 Featured Teacher: Angela Clem Harbin, Reading Specialist, T.R. Simmons Elementary
Words by Jenny Lynn Davis | Images by Ryan McGill
Peeking through the deep blue velvet curtains cascading over the stage in the gymnasium at Walker College, young Angela Clem would watch intently as basketball players dribbled the ball up and down the court, passing it back and forth, and eventually making shots into the basket as the voice of her father, Coach Glen Clem, echoed throughout the gym, reminding his players that “how we practice is how we play.”
That reminder was prominent in her mind then and is just as prominent now.
“I took that philosophy from his coaching, and I apply it to how I guide the staff I work with,” Angela says. “If we’re practicing our instruction creatively and effectively every day, then our students are more than ready to excel when it comes time for them to perform.”
Angela Clem Harbin serves as a reading specialist for the Alabama Reading Initiative, a statewide K-12 program committed to supporting the development of high-quality instruction that will provide students with the literacy skills needed to meet or exceed grade-level standards. Through ARI, she also works with Jasper City Schools as a reading specialist at T.R. Simmons Elementary School.
Like her father, Angela is a coach. She is a supportive resource to the teachers at T.R. Simmons, guiding them in areas of literacy where their students need to grow, and constantly being a hands-on supporter of a student’s reading journey.
“I believe that literacy is a human right, and as public educators, we’re here to serve every child that walks through our doors,” Angela says. “So being able to open the doors and unlock the codes that allow these children the opportunity that they deserve is incredibly rewarding. On a daily basis, I see the joy in a child’s eyes as he or she sounds out a word in their textbook or recognizes a letter we’ve been working on. Those daily experiences are all so enriching. It’s inspiring to know that you’re contributing to this gift that students are going to carry with them for the rest of their lives.”
Angela’s passion for reading goes back to her childhood. She has vivid memories of seeing her parents with books in their hands and remembers she and her brother eagerly awaiting the next delivery of books from the book clubs their mother, Sara, had enrolled them in.
“My mom was instrumental in planting the seeds of reading early on and the enjoyment of opening a book to have a wonderful, magical experience with a story,” Angela says. “She would read aloud to us and encourage us to read on our own, and she took us to the library often. I owe a lot to my mom for my love of reading. It's a love we still share today.”
As she acknowledges her parents’ roles as catalysts for her career journey, Angela also recognizes many more individuals who contributed to leading her where she is today.
“I’m like a really good, really rich pot of soup!” she laughs. “I have worked with so many people throughout my 34-year career who have been an influence on me, and I've taken a little bit of wisdom and knowledge from all of them. They’ve all played a unique role in turning me into a much broader thinker, and as a result, a better educator.”
At the end of the day, Angela views her career as mission work that allows her to put her servant’s heart into action. She believes teaching is a calling, and that she is called to help children to grow up to become successful adults in their communities.
“Every day when I wake up, I ask God to show me who I am going to help today,” she says. 78