Story by Kaden Bessent
Last school year was Lisa Hunter’s hardest year in education. She just completed her 26th year at Early Elementary School, but was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer.
The Brownwood and Howard Payne graduate has taught a plethora of subjects from special education, reading, writing, gifted and talented, and UIL oral reading. She stuck with fifth grade reading for 16 years, saying it is a passion.
Growing up, Hunter had no doubt she would become a teacher. “The reason I became a teacher is because I had good teachers in elementary school that made me feel seen and loved,” Hunter said. “I wanted to be able to be a teacher like that and make a positive impact in the lives of my students like those teachers did for me.”
For the past two years, Hunter has moved into a support role, focusing on a newer program called Longhorn Lab. She helps fifth graders in all subjects, assists other teachers, and focuses on social emotional learning as well.
Hunter said being able to support kids and other teachers with various tasks has been the perfect spot for her, “I really feel like God put me in this position that I’m teaching now to be able to have the flexibility to help me battle this diagnosis this year.”
All across campus she has felt the love and support from her peers.
“I do have the best support system that I could ever have I believe,” Hunter said. “And that has really helped me and motivated me to stay strong and fight harder through this battle.”
Regarding what she finds most rewarding about teaching, Hunter said, “The relationships I have with kids and their parents by the end of the year, it’s like being a family. Especially this year because of what I’ve been through, the parents have been so amazing.”
As for what is enthusing about the future of teaching, Hunter said, “All the resources and technology that teachers have now that kids can be taught through, different resources and things like that, it’s just so exciting.”
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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 Features series.