Employment History:
Teacher, Turkey Hill Elementary, Orange, CT (1967-1969)

Published Works:

Public Speaking Experience:

Why F is an Expert:

Best Advice:
People can learn very quickly if they actually want to be a teacher once they start working. They discover that their lofty goals just have to go out the window; all of a sudden, they realize they have to look at things with new eyes. They can’t just stand there and proceed on an ideal without dealing with what is in front of them – that may not be the easy part for a lot of people. One of the best things I did for myself when we moved from Connecticut to California and then to Washington was substitute teach. I had been out of the industry for almost 10 years and this helped me to get back into it. If someone is wondering if education is something they could go into, they should sub for a while. It can help them make a decision one way or another.

Passionate about:
Art, music and a lot of reading. You’re talking to someone who is now 64-years old. My perspective and focus is very different from those of a 34-year old. I am finally able to perceive that life is maybe not all that I thought it was. I am switching gears and going in a different direction – happy and really enjoying a peace and quiet I haven’t had for years.

Biography Excerpt:
As a youngster growing up on a farm, June Marlene Omel always knew she would work towards becoming a distinguished teacher. Her father had purchased an old country school, which he brought to the property to use as storage. Equipped with teachers’ maps, desks and an assortment of other educational knick knacks, the authentic schoolhouse came alive as Ms. Omel’s childhood place where she imagined she was a teacher. “From that point on, I never strayed from the idea of becoming a dedicated educator,” she says, “right up to getting my teaching degree.”

     

Cambridge Who's Who: What would you like to promote most about yourself or your business?  
JANE MARLENE OMEL :  I’ve been retired from teaching for one year now. As far as personal goals go, I currently enjoy spending time gardening, tending to flowerbeds and improving our yard. My long term goal has to do with writing. Starting in 1982, I contributed articles to a little town school newspaper in the district at which I worked. Now that I’ve retired, I would like to organize all of those writings I’ve done, improve upon them and compile them in some type of book.

What did you write about?
I wrote simple, from-the-heart articles, drawing from a lot of my own experiences growing up in the Midwest on a farm. I can fondly recall my encounters with my parents and the farm animals. I was cleaning up after I retired when I found this box containing all of these articles I had collected. The stories were comparable to those you would watch on Little House on the Prairie where, in retrospect, I really appreciate the simple life I had. I love reading these stories now; I can see their importance more than I ever did back then.

What is the most difficult obstacle or challenge you have faced in pursuit of your goals?
As a teacher, discipline was a huge factor. There are so many dysfunctional families now; it’s such a difference from when I was first starting out in Connecticut. The kids come to school with no discipline or they’re a mess because they have such a chaotic life outside of school. They become a distraction because you keep addressing that person while you are still getting the entire class to learn something. Sometimes, the problem can be very severe.