“Colleen, you’re like the Erma Bombeck of Rhode Island education.” That’s what one person said who reads my regular educational Op-Ed’s in the Providence Journal.

I loved the fact he compared me to a witty lady who had a wonderful, common-sense approach to things. Like Erma, I like to use humor to get my message across.

In that vein, I’m happy to report that I’ll be guest-speaking at a number of times in the months ahead. Some folks who read my columns in West Warwick’s Kent County Daily Times (where I revisit my childhood) have asked me to speak before a large East Greenwich group in the fall and a smaller church group has extended an invitation, too (they don’t know yet that they’re the parish where my father grew up!!) Before these groups, I’ll talk about the importance of shared memories. In that regard, I’m a memoirist, encouraging others to share their stories.

Then, too, I’ll be providing a significant element to PBS’s “Our Town” for their Sept. 7, 2016 focus on West Warwick.

This year, I hope to go before teacher groups to encourage those in the field. That’s been my calling for many years. As such, I write the monthly column about students/teaching/education that appears on the second Thursday of each month in the Providence Journal Op-Ed section.To date, I’ve written 50 of these.

In presentations, I am lively, spirited, and engaged with my audience.

With that, I want to encourage those in the field who set up educational/teacher workshops or in-service programs to contact me as guest speaker, for I’m one who’s actually “walked the walk,” as 30 year, highly-successful veteran of the classroom who knows how very important a teacher’s job is.

I’ll get that importance across to those in the classroom, today.

And I’ll do it with humor.

Today’s teachers need a champion who knows how important their job is.

I can do that and I welcome the opportunity.

Email Colleen Kelly Mellor at ckmellor@cox.net