Each school year begins anew, bringing with it changes and challenges.
At Twin Rivers, WaWanda Nehkorn is starting her 26th year in education, while this marked Amanda Boswell’s first year.
Boswell is a high school math teacher, while Nehkorn is the district process coordinator.
Boswell came into teaching from law enforcement.
“I was more in the investigative side of criminal justice, but there were similarities in the training, de-escalating situations, learning to stay calm, learning how to handle people who don’t necessarily want to be there,” Boswell said.
Boswell made the switch to education because as a single mom, the idea of working 12-hour shifts and overnight shifts was not too good for her family.
Nehkorn came into teaching because of the influence of her reading teacher, Mrs. Bacon. Nehkorn said reading was something she struggled with whenever she was in elementary school.
“She made reading less of a chore and more fun. She helped me be more confident in my reading abilities, so I wanted to be able to do the same for others who struggled with reading,” she said.
Each year also brings change.
“I think that the biggest change that I have seen over the years is that students are more accepting of their peers with disabilities. Having a disability and going into a resource room does not carry such a huge stigma as it once did,” Nehkorn said.
She also said parents were much more willing to accept help for their struggling child than in the past.
Technology was also a source of change.
Boswell does not use much technology in her classroom.
“I do not use much technology in my class because I believe hands on is important when we are doing extensive algebra problems,” she said.
But Nehkorn finds technology very useful in her job.
“Technology has opened up students to a whole new world of learning and experiences. Personally, I remember when all my special education paperwork was handwritten, and now everything is computed-based, which saves a lot of time,” she said.
Each year brings new challenges in the classroom.
“In schools today, educators are having to deal with an increase of mental health issues of students. Anxiety and depression seem to be at an all-time high. Thankfully, there are more resources available to help our youth,” Nehkorn said.
On a more personal level, Nehkorn said the biggest challenge is balancing home and work. With her job responsibilities, she has to be careful to not neglect her family and health.
Boswell said, “One of the most challenging aspects of my job is motivating students who have given up or just don’t care.”
She has found extra credit and candy seem to help.
Teaching is a field which is experiencing a shortage.
“I think there is a teaching shortage because, for some, the cost of earning the required degrees outweighs the long-term financial aspects of being a teacher. So, individuals with bachelor’s or master’s degrees often choose more financially lucrative careers,” Nehkorn said.
Nehkorn added, in order to remedy the teacher shortage, states need to increase teacher salaries and provide
competitive income.