Shuck embraces change

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August 21, 2015 - 12:00 AM

For even the most seasoned teacher, every school year starts from scratch.
With each new batch of students, the challenge begins anew.
For Jan Shuck, a new fourth-grade teacher in the Iola school system, that includes finding “ways to draw students in and get them enthused,” she said. Shuck’s easy-going nature helps her remain flexible, an important trait that “helps me discover their learning styles and levels of abilities, until we all get on the same page,” she said.
An admitted “late bloomer,” Shuck began her own journey in education once her three children were settled in school. She received her undergraduate degree from Baker University in 1999 and a master’s in special education from Washburn University in 2005.
Shuck has 10 years of teaching experience. For the last seven years she taught second grade in Ottawa, and before that first grade. She’s also worked as a special education instructor.
A native of Baldwin City, Shuck expects the transition to Iola will come easily. Plans include eventually moving to Iola. She is engaged to be married to Jim Chandlee of Iola.
It’s somewhat of a leap going from second to fourth grade. “I’m sure the kids will be much smarter,” she said with a twinkle in her eye. So far, she’s expecting a class of 19 to show up Thursday morning.
She won’t be going it alone.
Today’s setup includes a team of teachers who take on various subjects for each grade level. Shuck’s team of three includes fellow fourth-grade teachers Mary Ann Regehr and Scott Riebel. Regehr will head up reading; Riebel, social studies and spelling and Shuck will handle the math responsibilities. Each teacher is individually responsible for science, handwriting and language. Music, physical education, art and time in the school library help balance out the week.
The other two fourth-grade teachers, all positioned at Lincoln, are Lissa Manbeck and Linda Garrett.
The teachers are enthusiastic about all being in one building, said Regehr, who poked her head into Shuck’s classroom.
For fourth-grade math it’s all about learning multiplication and division. By year’s end students are expected to know their multiplication tables up through the number 12.
For most, it requires a family effort to learn the tables.

EMBRACING CHANGE, whether as a student or teacher, is critical not only to an individual’s growth but also for society’s, Shuck said. Being able to learn on new platforms is what “prepares students for today’s work place,” she said.
At the same time Shuck strives to make her specific classroom as a retreat of sorts for her students.
“I want it to be seen as a good place to be,” she said. “If a student’s home life may be chaotic, I want them to know things are OK here at school.”

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