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During the Civic Awards Brunch this past weekend, I was moved to see incredible seniors that I was fortunate to teach in both first and fourth grades. I was reminded about the role we play in creating leaders of the future. At HBHA, we are fortunate to watch our students flourish, both in our own classrooms and for the remainder of their years in school. I can’t describe the feeling of seeing the little boy who would only write if I sat next to him become a self-assured leader, or the little girl you could barely hear when she read aloud stand up and deliver her graduation speech loud and proud.

 
Unless you’re a teacher, it’s difficult to understand the feeling when a new class comes in, those students become ‘your kids.’ They stay your kids forever. Whether they smile and spread joy all day or lash out because they’re overwhelmed, we commit ourselves wholly to every child in our care. I’ve watched students who struggled with their fine motor skills pull into the parking lot after passing their driver’s exams and the painfully shy little girl performing fearlessly on stage. I know that I play a small role in those accomplishments, giving children what they need during the time they’re in my care.

At most other schools, when students walk out for the last time in May, teachers’ future interactions with them are limited. At HBHA, we continue to interact with them in the hallways, at programs, on the basketball court, in our school families, at synagogue, and we can chat with their parents in the Rams Cafe. As an educator, being able to see the fruits of our labor is gold.

My path to HBHA, like that of many teachers here, was unique. I attended Northwestern University, most of the time thinking I would become a lawyer. During my senior year, as I dreamed of changing the world, I began to doubt whether law school was for me. Upon graduation, I worked at Chicago’s Jewish United Fund in their Young Leadership Division. I planned many adult education programs and thought, why should it take until adulthood for people to be excited to learn? I decided to go to school for elementary education and have never regretted it. 

Shortly after graduating with my Masters in Teaching, our family moved to Kansas City. We never intended on sending our son to Jewish day school, but we sent him to HBHA for kindergarten with the intention of moving to public school later. But he thrived here, and we were hooked for life. We loved the attention our son received and the community that warmly embraced us.
When a teaching position opened the following year, I applied. I could observe that HBHA was a place that appreciated its teachers’ intellect and allowed its faculty to do far more than read from a scripted curriculum. I have always loved planning lessons and units, and I wanted to be able to use my creativity and passion for Judaism in the classroom. Soon after, our daughter began at HBHA. We loved being an HBHA family.

Sixteen years later, I’m still here. During my three-year absence in Holland, I worked with a wonderful staff, but it was not the family we have at HBHA. I am incredibly grateful to work with dedicated and progressive teachers and administrators, who adapt to the curriculum, explore new technology, and embrace best practices. We are constantly turning out children who are the best versions of themselves, and the methods we use change with each class of children and what is happening in the world around us.

My own children are living their best lives in college and the adult world, and a large part of that is due to their upbringing at HBHA.

Teaching is an incredible opportunity and responsibility. I get to teach children what it means to fight for justice when they learn about the civil rights movement and the Holocaust. I have the privilege of helping them through social interactions and engaging them in learning what it means to be a good and kind friend. I get the thrill of seeing lightbulbs go off in their heads every single day. I’m always proud to have played a small part in helping these little humans grow into amazing adults. I’ve found my way to change the world, and it's the best job in the world.