South County Teacher Vera Woodson Pens Book on Bullying

We caught up with Woodson recently to find out more about her, and her book:

Patch:  What first got you interested in the education field?

Woodson: I am a career-switcher to the education field. My background and multi-strengths are in Retail Management, Procurement, and Training. Prior to having a career in education, I was a Buyer and Regional Merchandise Manager with Nordstrom.  I started with Nordstrom in 1988 as Christmas help and worked my way “down the inverted pyramid” over 15 ½ years. 

While I was with Nordstrom enjoying much success, I pursued my Master’s degree in Education, and another graduate degree in Education Leadership through the University of Virginia. I was working full-time and traveling my territory from Rhode Island to North Carolina, while reading textbooks on airplanes to achieve my personal goal of inspiring young people through education. 

I had a wonderful high school experience, and I wanted to share in the inspiration of other young people, providing them with the opportunity to find their purpose, passion and educational success.

Patch: Are you originally from Falls Church? How long have you lived here and what brought you here if you moved from another area?

Woodson: Originally I am from Long Beach, California. Nordstrom relocated me to the Tysons Corner area in 1998 when we were expanding the territory and reach on the East Coast. I took the job sight unseen, and packed up during the holiday season to move to a place called “Falls Church, Virginia.”  

I never visited the East Coast, so that was an experience! I was single, age 29, buying my first home, and did not own a winter coat.  I ended up in Falls Church because I needed to be as close to Nordstrom and the airports as possible. Purchasing a home in Falls Church is one of the best real estate investments I have made to date!

Patch: How did you get the idea for the book series?

Woodson: The book was written back in 1994 as a gift for my newborn cousin Tyler. She graduated from high school last year. I wanted her to have her own special book. However, the Internet was not available to me at the time, so I didn’t know where or how to get the book published.  

I sent out drafts of the book to some of the publishing companies, and they all sent letters of rejection. After that, the book sat in a box and traveled with me as I moved around for 17 years. It originally was a soft-story book, and only taught about being a positive team player. The bullying portion came from the recent climate in schools and workplaces across the country. Hearing the tragic stories of school violence is enough to make anyone want to find a solution to the problems we face.  

I added the bullying portion to support my personal decision to be a problem-solver in the effort to erase bullying in schools. Bullying is a societal problem that needs to be addressed in the emerging stages of new readers, in order to shape a new generation of students. We need to get to the core of character conversations when discussing bullying, above and beyond having a one month national focus.

Patch: Was it difficult or challenging to write?

Woodson: Most people say I am a very creative person. I was successful marketing products and services when I was with Nordstrom, and now I teach marketing. I’ve been known to come up with campaigns, slogans, education and business plans and interventions in 10 minutes or less. I also have a strong interest in aesthetic value, so I am very visually driven when it comes to how to attract potential readers and customers. 

The characters in the book are diverse in color to ensure that students are able to connect with the multiple characters. The writing portion took about 20 minutes to write in 1994, and then about 10 minutes last summer to add the portion about bullying. The issue is such a hot button issue; the target message flowed very easily. I have to laugh and remind myself that it is a 22-page book, so it is not Nobel Prize-winning research. My high school students won’t give me the title of “author” because they said the book is too short to qualify. You gotta love teenagers.

Patch: Are you also the illustrator?

Woodson: The publisher Mascot Books, located in Herndon, provides the resources for new and veteran authors to publish professionally. They located an artist in South Florida who used his talents to help bring my vision to life on the pages.  I own all of the intellectual property, but hiring a professional illustrator through Mascot Books was one of the best investments I made.

Patch: How did you research information for the book?

Woodson: I truly wrote the book from my personal emotion tied to the issue. I was the chubby kid in my family, so anytime I hear of a student being bullied for their weight, race, sex, sexual orientation, individuality, special needs, or cultural beliefs I feel a responsibility to stand in the gap of the issue and provide correction. The Golden Rule in school is and should remain a foundational value.

Patch: Do you see instances of bullying in your work?

Woodson: Schools have elevated the level of interventions in school to curb the issue, however I do believe that bullying is equally a parental issue. Parents are our partners, and cyber bullying usually takes place in the home. Schools have restrictions on our reach, so parents should educate themselves on the signs and the implications of bullying. My book is a tool parents can use to begin the discussion with new readers about bullying. 

The no-bullying quiz and pledge are also available in the book to help assess the understanding and reflect on the behavioral signs to look for when dealing with potential bullying. "Lady Bug, Beetle Boy, and Friends: Bullies Be Gone!" also provides students with storied direction to alert an adult whenever they witness bullying.  The best intervention is paying and calling attention to the issue.

Patch: Do you think bullying is something that has increased over the years? If so, why?

Woodson: Bullying is not new, but the level of retaliation and response has grown to deadly levels. Students need to recognize the signs and develop skills to help redirect negative energy when faced with bullying. My insight through writing this book has led me to believe that although students are connected on the Internet, they are lacking positive connections when it pertains to people and resources to help them cope with rejection, relationship transition and personal privacy. 

Teens are living out loud on the Internet. I also believe the public display on the Internet is being used as a call to an open target for harassment. Some students need coaching to help determine what needs to be filtered prior to posting. The Internet is a great tool when used the right way.

Patch: What will your next book be about?

Woodson: The next book is already written, but not published. There will be an introduction of a few new characters. The next New Reader Textbook focuses on the basic level of environmental awareness, and includes a quiz as well. The story takes place on the beach, since I was raised by the beach. The Raggedy Roach brothers (Rudy and Roscoe) are still the characters who can’t seem to do the right thing, but will receive a bit of coaching and direction to improve their behavior.

Patch: What would you be doing if you weren't in the education field?

Woodson: If I wasn’t in education, I would still be around education. This is a calling for me. I am also very tactical, so creating educational initiatives and using my retail background to improve efficiency and outreach is something that drives me. Schools are finding some success with using business principles, but many of the tools are not formatted for educational interpretation.  

There is a missing link that builds the bridge to the classroom. The data resources are developing and growing, but many of the companies that are selling these tools aren’t concerned about the kids, they are concerned about the profit.  I see this issue clearly because I have worked in varied industries. 

The school resources are measuring outcomes without including the behaviors and modifiers. Anyone who works in business can tell you that what you measure has more to do with the behaviors of the customers which contributes to the actual output. If we can strengthen the relationship with the students, families and communities, the scores will improve.  

Superior customer service is at the pinnacle of business success, and that same framework applies in schools. Unfortunately schools are being driven by multi-layered testing and data points that are connecting dots, not connecting relationships to students.  I believe in supporting student achievement through identifying areas of opportunity through authentic assessments; however students who come to school hungry, homeless, or being bullied on a daily basis are not receiving a footnote on the posted results.

Patch: What do you like most about living in Falls Church?

Woodson: I love everything about Falls Church. I couldn’t have landed in a better place.  The diversity of people, food and offerings is hands-down the best in the region. You can’t beat the convenience to everything, and the growth potential is being realized through the Merrifield re-birth. The only thing missing is a beach. However, there is a piece of land on Lee Highway that might just be a good spot for a wave pool if "Lady Bug, Beetle Boy, and Friends: Bullies Be Gone!" is a success!