A Richards Elementary School teacher hopes to help students develop a passion for learning as she learns herself.
The first day of classes Wednesday for students in the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. was also a new experience for sixth-grade teacher Lauren Huebner.
Huebner, 25, began her full-time career in education Wednesday after spending two years in the construction management industry. She worked for a Carmel-based construction firm soon after graduating from Purdue University in 2015.
Huebner, who will instruct 90 students from different classrooms at Richards, began her first day in front of students with simple things — such as going over their names and assigning them a locker to put their supplies in.
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She smiled as she spoke to her students, who were also settling in.
“I want you to have fun and talk to people at your table,” Huebner said.
The teacher shared a few things she enjoys, including an interest in Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice,” Harry Potter, ice cream and Golden State Warriors basketball.
Huebner then gave students an opportunity to introduce themselves to their fellow classmates through an activity, Me Too!, in which individuals shouted the phrase after hearing something they also like.
Huebner said she is looking forward to helping students find their passion for learning, noting that she enjoys seeing youths develop a curiosity about things around them.
“I love to see when they have that aha moment,” Huebner said.
The new educator said she wants to inspire students to understand that there is life outside of school.
“I have high expectations for you,” she told them. “We’ll follow the Raider Way … and that goes with everything in our environment.”
The Raider Way encourages students to always be respectful, responsible and safe.
Career transition
Huebner made the switch to education after working with middle and high school students at Center Grove Church in Greenwood.
“I kept wanting to work with kids,” she said. “I grew up with kids so that’s where I felt most comfortable, working with students. It reminded me of my old desire to teach.”
She returned to school in October 2016 at Indiana Wesleyan University in a transition-to-teaching program, earning her certification to teach.
In Huebner’s construction role, she had been responsible for providing resources to people in the field, drawing blueprints, administrative filing and social media work, but she left that position last summer.
“It wasn’t a decision taken lightly by any means because I loved construction, but my heart was out for the students,” Huebner said. “I felt like I had more to provide to others.”
She already had a connection to Columbus, as her husband Thomas works in the city for Cummins. They have lived in Columbus since November.
Huebner developed her own professional tie to the city and Bartholomew Consolidated Schools — and Richards Elementary in particular — as a student teacher earlier this year in fourth-grade teacher Rachel Weidman’s classroom.
“She did a phenomenal job for us,” Principal Darin Sprong said. “She’s fantastic, a hard worker and loves kids.”
Sprong said he sees a bright future ahead for Huebner as an educator.
Huebner said she feels blessed to be where she is.
“Transitions are difficult in any part of life and I’m appreciative of the support I’ve received,” she said.
Huebner put her construction skills to work in her new job, constructing two tables for her classroom, giving students flexible seating options — one, in front of a window.
While Huebner admitted she was somewhat nervous going into her first day at Richards, describing it as a little chaotic, she said she is also excited for what lies ahead.
“Sometimes the best surprise comes out of chaos,” she said. “I’m in a place I love.”
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Age: 25
Hometown: Ferdinand, in DuBois County. Currently lives in Columbus.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in construction management from Purdue University; transition-to-teaching program at Indiana Wesleyan University, which gave her certification to teach.
Family: Married to husband Thomas
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