Denne has found her fit in teaching
TOM PINNEY/DAILY FORUM
Jefferson C-123 Parents as Teachers coordinator and pre-kindergarten teacher Rachel Denne reads a flashlight book with one of her students, Chloe Jensen. Denne is in her second year as a teacher and feels like she has found her perfect niche.
Rachel Denne knew from a young age that she wanted to be a teacher. It helped that she had educators as role models.
Denne’s mother and grandmother both were teachers, and later in life, her older sisters entered the profession. According to Denne, it was almost inevitable that she would eventually have a classroom of her own.
“I’ve basically been around little children my whole life,” Denne said. “It seems almost obvious now that I was meant to do this.”
Denne earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education with a minor in early childhood education from Northwest Missouri State University in 2016. She did her student teaching at Jefferson C-123 in the spring of that year, and in the fall, she was hired as the pre-kindergarten teacher and Parents as Teachers coordinator for the district.
“That was also pretty cool that I student-taught here and then the position opened up,” Denne said. “My older sister (Courtney Wolf, third grade teacher) also works here, and I asked if she was OK if I did my student teaching here, and she was totally fine with it.
“Jefferson is a great district to work for. I’m glad that everything worked out for me to stay here.”
As the Parents as Teachers program coordinator, Denne said she does monthly house visits with parents to help them with activities for their young children, from birth through kindergarten. The activities help the kids get ready for the organized learning that school brings.
“For the visits, I bring different materials that parents can use with their children,” Denne said. “That includes books, and I make sure I’m bringing books that can pique the child’s interests.
“It’s important to read to your kids as they’re growing up, even in the womb, because it helps develop that relationship and that attachment. In addition, doing things with your kids before they come to school prepares their minds for learning.”
In addition to the monthly home visits, Denne hosts a monthly program for children and their parents called “Early Childhood Nights.” This month’s theme is fire safety, and her program includes a visit from Tri-C Fire Protection District Firefighter Mitch Holtman.
Other upcoming programs include: Building with Dad and Baking with Mom. She said it’s as important to get parents involved as it is their children.
“I love getting the parents involved in the activities because they can replicate them at home if they want,” Denne said. “It’s important to do that because it reminds parents that they are their children’s first teachers. Any behaviors can be learned behaviors, so it’s important to make sure you’re teaching your kids good ones.”
Each component of the job makes Denne believe that she’s in the right place. That’s why she said she constantly re-evaluates what she’s doing to make sure she’s teaching the right lessons in the right ways in her classroom.
Outside of school, Denne said she has a few shows on her Netflix queue that she’s working through. Otherwise, she said she enjoys hanging out with friends, including going four-wheeling with her brother-in-law out in the country.
When asked for advice, she turned to some wise words from her freshman year of college while taking a class with Northwest professor Susanne Nuttall.
“Every child is someone’s precious gift,” Denne recalled. “So, if you gave your precious gift to someone to teach, how would you want them to be taught?
“It’s stuck with me since freshman year. It’s helped me to form how I treat every child, every interaction, and how I develop relationships with them. Each one of them is a special gift, and I’m honored to teach them.”
Editor’s Note
This story is part of a weekly series highlighting “Everyday Heroes.” In this weekly segment, the Daily Forum takes a look at people who work tirelessly to make Maryville a great place to live. If you have a suggestion for someone who you feel should be featured, please contact us via email at [email protected] or call the Forum at 660-562- 2424.