Stacy Schwab’s career at Blanket ISD didn’t begin in a classroom, but after seeing the impact teachers made on her own children, she decided to become an educator herself.
“When I started working at the school and watching my kids have their favorite teachers, watching the interaction between teachers and my own children, I liked what they were doing for my children,” said Schwab, who will begin her 15th year with Blanket ISD in August, but just the fifth in the classroom. “One particular teacher that made an impression on me was Debra Jo Bostic, and that’s what made me want to be a teacher.”
Prior to teaching at Blanket, Schwab was an aide, librarian, school nurse, and cheer sponsor, among other responsibilities.
Regarding her desire to work at the school, Schwab said, “I had a daycare for 12 years and I was a stay at home mom before that. I had my daycare while I raised my kids. I always loved kids so I decided to work at the school where my kids went to school, then I decided to go back to school myself for education. I liked the atmosphere and being around the kids.”
Once receiving her degree in education online from Stephen F. Austin, Schwab decided elementary students, and particularly second graders, were the right choice for her.
“I enjoy teaching elementary education because they still have such a great mind for opening up to learning,” Schwab said. “They have so many questions and their minds are little sponges and they keep growing and asking questions and absorbing everything. When I start teaching we go off into what we call squirrel moments where they keep asking questions and we just go off topic and get into discussions. They just like to learn and I like that.”
As for what she considers the most rewarding aspect of her job, Schwab said, “Hearing the kids go home and tell their parents that we multiplied today and they didn’t know the Ms. Stacy way to do it, and I taught them a new way to do it. We teach them five or six ways to to do something, add, subtract or multiple. They learn in so many ways and I like to teach them multiple ways to do something. I like to teach on every level, not just one way.”
Schwab credited both her children, who graduated from Blanket, and her husband for allowing her to realize her goal of becoming a teacher.
“If not for my children and husband helping me finish school, I wouldn’t be where I am,” Schwab said.
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BrownwoodNews.com will highlight one Brown County educator per day in the month of July, based on nominations received on our Facebook page, for our Teacher Feature series.