On January 18, 2017, Anne Savage of the Library of Congress Educational Outreach team packed up her rolling bag and headed out into the wonderful world of retirement. A vital and longtime member of the team, with interests in working with younger children and in using technology to help make primary sources accessible to all, she was the first to share ideas and comments and to add her expertise to any project.
We will see Anne again when she comes in to perform with the Library’s chorale and to do research, but in our office we will miss her good humor, her willingness to pitch in, and her passion to support teachers and their access to the best professional development and teaching resources available.
We’d like to celebrate Anne by showcasing some of her best blog posts.
Selecting and Using Primary Sources with Difficult Topics: Civil Rights and Current Events
This post discusses a few techniques to provide a safe place for students to share ideas and concerns as well as instructional strategies for teaching difficult topics.
Ten Tips to Start the Year with Primary Sources
Explore ideas for creating a classroom environment that encourages inquiry-based, interactive use of Library of Congress primary sources.
Looking Harder: Inspiring Close Observation
Employ specific strategies to encourage deep, purposeful observation.
Staff Favorites: An Unexpected Storm
What is the benefit of being surprised by a primary source?
Primary Source Activities for the K-2 Classroom
This post offers suggestions on primary source activities to use with younger students.
Science and Imagination: Full Steam(punk) Ahead with Primary Sources
Anne mined the collections to generate suggestions on studying ballooning and the inventiveness of the Victorian era.
Primary Source Analysis Tool: Forming Meaningful Questions
Part of a series on using the primary source analysis tool with students, this post focuses on how to help students develop questions as part of the inquiry process.
In the comments section of Anne’s last post on the primary source set Three Presidents: Primary Sources for Primary Grades and Beyond several people noted their appreciation for Anne and her work with the Library’s Educational Outreach team. Here’s your chance to thank Anne for a job well done and to note which of her blog posts was your favorite.
Comments (24)
A true professional! It has been a joy working with you Anne.
Anne, I am so incredibly happy for you as you begin this new journey. I am also happy that I was able to take the Summer Learning Institute while you were still teaching. I often channel you when I am helping students analyze and ask questions. Your lovely spirit and smile and passion for primary sources continue to be an inspiration to me. Enjoy retirement!
Happy retirement Anne! Thank you for your many contributions to the TPS program.
We at the Library are fortunate to have worked with our excellent colleague Anne Savage! I had the privilege of collaborating with Anne on countless projects over the years, on topics ranging from music to math to Mayan artifacts, and was always struck by her passion, her creative thinking, and her commitment to improving the working lives of educators and the learning lives of young people.
While I’m glad to see that this hardworking professional finally has a chance to kick–and leave–her shoes off, I know that the Library’s education program will always benefit from the example Anne set, and from the kindness and dedication that she brought to all her work here.
All the best to Anne Savage,TPS staff member,educator and all-round person par excellence!
Anne was one of the first members of the Library that I met when attending the Summer Teacher Institute in 2013 and one of the last when spending my last day as Teacher in Residence in 2016. In between, I learned so much from her, not only in her knowledge of primary sources and how they are used in student centered learning, but also in her constant dedication in keeping teachers and their everyday reality in the classroom in the forefront of the discussion.
I truly hope that our paths cross again. She is a joy to converse and work with and I wish her all the best on her future endeavors!
Anne, it was a true joy to work with and learn from you during my year at the Library. Two things stood out in every interaction I had with you: you have deep respect for educators, and you have an unwavering interest in creating learning spaces in which young learners can thrive. Thank you for the work that you did–and continue to do–to honor and support students and teachers!
Your work, dedication, and inspiration for kids, teachers, and this librarian will continue to grow and blossom. Congratulations on a wonderful career and cheers to your next chapter. Steampunk forever!
Anne has been one of the lights of Ed Outreach at the Library of Congress. I was fortunate to spend two years working closely with Anne. She opened my eyes to new ways of thinking about and using primary sources with students. She also insisted that I participate in a program with kindergarten students (which terrified me) and it turned out to be one of the best experiences of my time as Teacher in Residence. I consider her a mentor who continues to influence my work.
Happy retirement, Anne! I’m really fortunate that I had the opportunity to work with you. You are amazing, giving, and most importantly, inspiring! Thank you.
Hard to add more accolades to this list, so I’ll just say, Thanks, Anne! Thanks for being there for all of us. Now it’s time for more fun!
Thanks Anne for your friendship and dedication to education! Your love of learning was infectious with every new discovery or ahah moment you shared. I was always amazed at the breath of your experience and how you sought out new resources that made our Ed Outreach work even more meaningful. Thanks for being my guide on my first day as a Teacher in Residence (when you were still a newbie)…and for still being there now as we discover how to stay vital in our new role as retirees. From wrestling alligators to our next adventure….!
Anne’s contributions to the field of education will live on and on with every primary source lesson discussed, researched, and implemented from the LOC’s teacher’s page.
My time with Anne was limited because I just began this past September. However, in that short time, I saw her work ethic, arriving every day and getting right to work. She searched the internet for fresh, new, and pertinent information that she could forward to educators that would inspire and enhance their teaching.
I was a witness to Anne’s professionalism, commitment, and determination, as well as her knowledge of technology and social media.
When her retirement was announced, no one was more surprised than I was! I did not know how this dedicated professional would be able to do anything else!
I would like to thank Anne for all she taught me and believe me, even in that short amount of time, it was a more than generous portion!
I wish Anne the happiest retirement. I hope it is filled with family, friends, fun, and lots of visits to the Library and as long as there is an Ed Outreach at the Library of Congress, or a Summer Teacher’s Institute Anne will always be present.
Anne will be missed here in the office but the fact that her work lives on is a true testament to the significant contributions she’s made over the years. In the blog posts noted above, you can see the depth and breadth of her knowledge but what they may not convey is the approach Anne took. Anne made sure that what we produced was relevant and of significant value to our teacher audience. Her curiosity and enthusiasm, while at times dizzying, was also contagious. Thanks for all of the hard work on the PD programs and tools, Anne. I wish you many margaritas and cool art projects in the days to come.
Anne, I salute you and think of your years of dedication to education. My students were beneficiaries of so much of your generosity as you helped them develop projects using Library of Congress resources. What a legacy you have. We are grateful for all you have done and look forward to contributions you will make in the future in whatever form that takes. Thank you, Anne Savage! We are the richer for your work.
Anne- You are a treasure! First met you when attending the summer institute and got to know you even more through the TPS program. You will be missed!
I could say many things about Anne’s passion, gifts, and dedication, but I’ll limit myself to one that rises to the top. She has indelibly impressed on me the importance of thinking about the youngest learners when we plan workshops, develop classroom materials, or write publications. She has been, and no doubt will continue to be in her retirement projects, a staunch and vocal advocate for doing meaningful work with early elementary – and younger! – children. Her question: “But what will we offer for the younger students?” will echo in my head for many years to come!
Truly, I have met very few people in life so committed to helping teachers and students reach their full potential than Anne. I had the great pleasure of working with her during several Summer Teacher Institutes and saw how skillful she worked with educators, how much she truly cared about them. Anne, you have taught so many educators (and me!) so much about primary sources and learning to think critically … you’ve made a big difference in a lot of lives and that’s something to be proud of! PS, we miss you!
I loved working with Anne and feel so fortunate that I was able to! Her love of learning and the joy she experienced in helping others learn was inspiring. Before she left, she shared with us that she would be spending some time in retirement creating works of art from scrap metal—so naturally, before she left, I roped my husband into cleaning off his workbench, in order to assemble a collection for Anne. She lit up when she saw what the heavy bag contained, immediately started looking at the items, holding up each one (springs, nails, wall hooks, other odd items), and describing all that she imagined them becoming. SEEING THE POSSIBLE is truly a gift that Anne shared with all of us and we are better because she did! Thank you, Anne!
When someone meets Anne for the first time they are struck by her smile, her excitement at getting to know someone and her willingness to help. What they don’t see until later is her tenacity and her desire to get the information she needs to solve a problem or support her colleagues, family, friends and the larger teacher community.
One thing that I appreciate about Anne is her willingness to ask questions and push to find answers. And more importantly if the answer was not clear or didn’t solve the problem she would continue to ask questions.
I also appreciate her humanity and goodness. I know that working on the Civil Rights Teacher Institutes especially as the country was dealing with the racial climate at the time was difficult for her. But she worked hard to find ways to deal with the elephants in the room and to allow a safe space for people to deal with their feelings as well as create outstanding lessons.
As you’ve read from the staff comments our Anne has been an integral part of the Educational Outreach team. And as you’ve read the comments from those who Anne taught and touched you can see she has made a major impact on the Educational Community. Her legacy will live on in the work she has created but now she has the opportunity to create a new legacy as a fine and performing artist and as an activist. We’re looking forward to seeing your future creations.
What I miss most about Anne is her delight, often expressed squeals of pleasure or deep-throated guffaws, at an interesting idea or bit of information. Her dedication to and respect for teachers is deep and has contributed much to Ed Outreach professional development. Anne’s interests and hobbies are wide – from music and crafts to animal welfare. It’s great that, in retirement, she’ll have more time pursue these with gusto. It was great working with you, Anne!
Congratulations on your retirement, Anne. An exciting new chapter for you. All the best!
Deb
Anne, thank you for a fantastic Summer Institute this past summer. You are a phenomenal educator — so glad I had the opportunity to learn from you. Enjoy the next chapters of your life!
I met Anne at a Summer Institute and she was passionate, interesting, and a fount of knowledge for working with primary documents. All the best to Anne in her retirement.