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Staff in the Spotlight
Lynn Warner
About Mrs. Warner: In November, three years ago, I walked into the Northwood School for an interview as the library aide. I had retired from teaching (after a lot of years… I was born in the 1900s) and my family decided that I needed to find something to do with myself. When I walked into the office, I felt like I had walked into Retired Teacher Heaven. I was thrilled to hear that the position was mine. And I have loved every single minute of my time here.
I graduated from Exeter High School (in the 1900s) and after trying out many different colleges, I graduated from UNH with a degree in Communication Disorders (again 1900s), and again from UNH with a degree in Reading (also 1900s). I’ve taught first grade, third grade, and fourth grade, and worked as a speech therapist for ages 3-21. My mom was a teacher and her mom was a teacher. I can’t imagine doing anything else!
I have three adult children, 6 grandchildren, 6 grandkids (they would be goats), 2 grandhorses, and 6 granddogs. I live with my mom (she was also born in the 1900s) and our dog, Max (who believes he is a human being.
I love to spend time with my family, relaxing at the lake, reading, talking about books, writing, and frolicking with the kids. I really love jokes. And joke books.
What do you love about working at Northwood School?
The absolute best part of Northwood School is the people! Everyone is kind, welcoming and helpful.
I love working with Ms. Mawn because she knows so much about so many different things. I learn something from her every single day.
Being in the library is like having the best of all worlds: I get to see students and talk to them every day, I get to spend time with incredible teachers, I get to spend the day reading books and talking about books! So many students have given me suggestions of different books that I never would have read if I weren’t a part of this staff! Who could ask for more?
I am totally in awe of the staff here. Their dedication and flexibility are incredible. The challenges of the past couple of years have been astounding, yet these teachers, and the support staff, have dedicated themselves to the students of Northwood.
Who has had the greatest influence in your life/career and why?
This is a toughie. My mom and my grandma were both teachers, and even though school looked a lot different when they were teachers, learning and enthusiasm for learning and teaching were important then and are still important now. My children, even as grownups, helped me make decisions and have adventures that I never would have known. Over and over they met up with challenges and they persevered. They’ve reminded me, over the years, to never forget that life should include love, friendship, music, the arts, and play. And sometimes you can find a way to mix them all together -- unless you count when my son decided to play the violin. We try to forget those three weeks. But that’s another story!
Do you have any quotes or words of wisdom you’d like to share with the Northwood community?
Bob Dylan’s song, My Back Pages, has powerful meaning for me, and the chorus has gained more meaning as I’ve aged. He writes, “But I was so much older then, I’m younger than that now.” I’ll leave it at that!
And… always buckle your seat belt!
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