James Howland
James C. Howland IV is the new librarian at both the Big Sandy elementary school and the Big Sandy high school. In addition Howland is teaching seventh grade English.
Howland was raised in Havre, graduating from Havre High School in 2000. He majored in English and History at MSU Bozeman and has taught for 7 years at Rosebud before moving to Big Sandy to take over the library position.
Howland loves history and specializes in the Middle Ages. However English is a challenge to him as well as he tries to get his students to learn that various grammar rules allow us to be correct and using them, we can still be creative in what we write.
When Howland taught in Rosebud, he was close to the Custer Battlefield and it was especially good for Howland and his students to be able to be on the battlefield when they were covering that period of history. Although, Howland said that inclement weather was the norm most of the time he wanted to visit the Custer Battlefield.
In Big Sandy Howland teaches his seventh graders English in the morning along with managing the school library. In the afternoon Howland goes to the library at the elementary school and keeps it open for teachers, classes and individuals needing to do library work.
Howland said he applied for the library position in Big Sandy and is taking classes now to beef up his library credentials. He figures that by this spring he should be fully certified in library work.
When James Howland moved to Big Sandy it was like coming home as his grandmother wrote a book saying that when the famous Sheehy family came through the Big Dry, some stayed here and others went on to Oregon. Howland is related to all of them
Howland loves living in Big Sandy and says the school system, the staff and the students are just great. He is happy to be here!
Big Sandy has needed the services of a librarian in both schools and it looks like James Howland might just be a very good match!
