A ministry for the books

Liberty professor Kristina DeWitt receives accolades for childhood literacy work

It is often said that if you can read, you can go anywhere.

Dr. Kristina DeWitt realized early on, having a second-grade son with a reading struggle, that too many kids were stuck in illiteracy.

DeWitt made it her life mission to get them moving out of it, beyond the one-size-fits-all conventions of elementary teaching.

It wasn’t just her career anymore—it became her ministry.

“Kids don’t always get it,” DeWitt said.

“Building a relationship with students is way more than what you tell them. They may not remember what you told them, but they will remember who you are.”

This realization hit harder a few years later while she was teaching at Dearington Elementary School.

A fellow teacher brought up a student in conversation who was “just a difficult child.” So, DeWitt decided to connect with this child in her own way.

She put together an iPad activity consisting of simple PowerPoint slides with sight words.

She made up a game involving blocks and hopping around in the hall.

After weeks of work sessions and tailoring to his learning style, the little boy’s reading finally improved.

“He was kinesthetic. He just needed to move,” DeWitt said. “He got to (learn) in a way that made sense for him.”

From teaching in public schools to spearheading outreach with Liberty University education students, DeWitt has been fighting to get children reading ever since, in a way that reaches each child personally.

 

 

Two questions DeWitt constantly asks when she’s working are “Can I do more?” and “Is there a different way to do it?”

“It just takes observation,” DeWitt said.

“When something’s not working, it’s not necessarily anyone’s fault. It just needs to be different. That can be a hard thing for teachers in a classroom packing 30 plus kids.”

DeWitt set out to help those teachers along with their kids.

“I not only want to give, I want to stand alongside.”

This attitude extends from DeWitt to the Liberty students she has mentored and led through Pi Sigma, which is the Liberty University chapter of Kappa Delta Pi.

KDP is a national education honor society, which highlights teaching resources and education advocacy.

DeWitt, who has served as the chapter’s faculty counselor for six years, has streamlined the resources and platform of KDP, her Liberty students’ mission-oriented focus and her personal drive for public school ministry into a community-wide outreach effort.

“We have built partnerships throughout Lynchburg and the surrounding counties with numerous schools where we do outreach events,” DeWitt said.

The biggest event of the year for Pi Sigma is Literacy Alive Day, where Pi Sigma coordinates with local schools to bring their literacy campaign to children through a day full of games, storytelling and interaction.

DeWitt does most of the planning and coordinating for the yearly event, which asks nothing from the benefitting schools except a liaison to help plan, and the chapter members staff and pay for the event.

Chapter members will usually work concessions stands during football season through Sodexo to get funds for Literacy Alive every year.

“This year, our theme was a travelling circus, based on the Dr. Seuss book ‘Circus McGurkus,’” DeWitt said.

“We rented a Liberty bus, put 30 of our education students on it and flash-mobbed three schools.”

The group visited Dearington, Linkhorne and Sheffield elementary schools.

They put on a circus act with chapter president Chandler Alder (a senior at Liberty) playing the ringmaster.

There were children who wanted to play parts in the circus, but were afraid to raise their hands.

So they would instead watch Alder intently.

“He was the one to help pull the kids out,” DeWitt said.

“He would tap one on the shoulder or take one’s hand and say ‘Do you want to be an elephant?’”

Despite all of the activities ranging from face-painting, to interactive story time, to an impromptu visit from Flames mascot Sparky, there was not one behavioral issue from any of the children.

Many of the children didn’t want the “troupe” to leave.

DeWitt knew the impact the event would have.

But she didn’t fully realize her own impact on the Pi Sigma chapter itself until July.

Alder secretly nominated DeWitt for the KDP Southeast Regional Chapter
Counselor award.

“She’s always so uplifting to all of us,” Alder said.

“She especially helped me. Last semester was my first as chapter president,
and I was so nervous going in. She’d always have her office open… and she has talked to me a lot about my future as a male teacher.”

Alder recalled that when he first became an officer of the chapter, DeWitt convinced him to take part in a trip to Jamaica with other education majors and DeWitt.

Despite reservations and with much prayer, he did it.

And DeWitt was there for him for every step and stumble through the experience.

“One of my biggest challenges was teaching high school there,” Alder said.

“The first time I taught a high school lesson, it was terrible. Those high schoolers were not having it at all. I was so discouraged. I didn’t want to teach again after that. But Dr. DeWitt pulled me aside later and said ‘Don’t care what they think. You’re not here to please these kids. You’re here to do what God wants you to do.’”

DeWitt is gradually moving out of her leadership at Pi Sigma, as she has resigned her official position to make way for new leadership and a new season of life.

But that hasn’t stunted her drive for outreach into public schools.

DeWitt’s plans span from partnering with a Houston school in coordinating a post-hurricane supply drive, to working with a boys and girls club in need of one-on-one volunteer tutors.

All the while, she will remain at Liberty University as an associate professor.

“It’s awesome how God has gifted us teachers to share Christ in the public schools, maybe not through words, but through actions,” DeWitt said.

“Any time a Christian teacher can go into a public school, it’s a good day.”

Jarrett is the feature editor.