School and Community Winter 2023

Rodney Wolken School district: Lexington R-5

Victoria LeBeau School district: Bowling Green R-1

School building: Lex La-Ray Technical Center Grade level/subject: 11th and 12th grades in Automotive Technology Years teaching: 21 Years in MSTA: 21 Roles in MSTA: CTA president, vice president,

School building: Bowling Green Elementary School and Frankford Elementary School Grade level/subject: K-5 teacher, librarian Years teaching: 15 Years in MSTA: 15 Roles in MSTA: CTA treasurer and membership chair

treasurer, building representative Why did you get involved with MSTA? I got involved in MSTA by knowing that I would need some type of representation in my teaching career. I felt that MSTA was the organization that best represented the teaching profession by giving support to local issues and policies, as well as providing protection and a voice to Missouri Educators. What has been a recent win for you? A recent win for me would be having a student run for a state then a national CTSO (career and student organization) officer position. This student is now serving on the National SkillsUSA Officer Team. Seeing her enthusiasm and dedication to SkillsUSA makes me a very proud advisor. I was also the district teacher of the year in 2019. What is one of your goals for 2023? One of my goals for the 2023 school year is to continue being a resource and mentor to staff members in our district. I want to support an environment that encourages members to be active and take a role in the changes that take place in our schools. We can all make a difference and provide positive support. It’s time to “Rise and Shine” and it’s a great day to be a Minuteman!

Why did you get involved withMSTA? I first got involved withMSTA in college. I was a member of SMSTA and going to my first conference really opened my eyes to what MSTA is about. A lot of times, we think about MSTA and go straight to liability coverage. It is so much more! MSTA provides professional development, empowers teachers to have a voice and provides support in so many ways. After I was hired for my first teaching job, I joined my local CTA and met a committed group of CTA officers that made me want to do more. I love being an officer and helping my fellow teachers through their MSTA journey. What has been a recent win for you? One huge win for me was having a former student come back to see me and thank me for helping them love to learn to read. She didn’t know how fun reading could be until she found the right book. Just today, I had a student thank me for making reading fun. As a teacher librarian, that was music to my ears. This award is a win as well. As teachers, we tend to just fly under the radar and never expect to be recognized for anything. We do our job and love helping students grow and succeed in life. So, this was a huge surprise and one that I truly appreciate. What is one of your goals for 2023? I want to continue to support staff members at my school and help give them a voice. Every year, I have goals to grow professionally and add certifications or training for something new. I love learning and being in a leadership role. Finding ways to help grow, personally and professionally, is extremely important to me. Oh, and take a vacation!

Cheryl Houk School district: Marshfield R-1

School building: Marshfield High School Grade level/subject: 9-12 PLTW biomedical sciences and biology Years teaching: 17 Years in MSTA: 17 Roles in MSTA: CTA secretary (Fair Grove),

Jennifer Wagoner School district: Carthage R-9

School building: Carthage High School Grade level/subject: 9-12 mathematics Years teaching: 23 Years in MSTA: 17 Roles in MSTA: CTA membership chair for 7 years, CTA president for 2 years

CTA vice president (Marshfield), CTA president (Marshfield) Why did you get involved with MSTA? When I first started teaching, I was encouraged to do so by the veteran teachers that surrounded me at Fair Grove. At that point, I dove in and started going to CTA meetings and then eventually became an officer. I wanted to do something that kept me on the up-and-up of education and maybe make a difference. I took a small hiatus from CTA when I changed schools, but then was recruited back into it by Cathy Zimmerman and I have been involved ever since. What has been a recent win for you? My freshmen this year are so refreshing! They are the most polite, eager and willing-to-try anything group that I have had in a LONG time. It reinvigorates me for the next few years for the continuation of my PLTW program! What is one of your goals for 2023? My goal is to not get lost or drown in the extra expectations of me both in and out of my classroom - to remember that I am important in my own story. I will give myself the room to grow as needed and not wilt under pressure.

Why did you get involved withMSTA? I like what MSTA stands for. I got involved because my CTA president at the time approached me to take over the membership chair position. Since then, I have been actively involved in leadership because I believe in supporting our teachers so they can do the job of educating our students. What has been a recent win for you? This past Leadership Conference, I had the opportunity to share my membership chair experience and was able to make connections while helping others organize their processes. On a personal level, I love to incorporate technology in the classroom and just finished the process to become a Google for Education Certified Trainer. What is one of your goals for 2023? One goal is to make spring renewal a seamless process with everyone checking and updating their information correctly. The better this process goes, the easier it will be for the building representatives and myself in the fall.

S&C WINTER 2023 | 21