During Covid-19, there were always messages saying, “Thanks to our doctors for helping us through these trying times!” But not for teachers. Why? Teachers make those jobs possible.

Being an educator is hard work and even more so when the child has a mental disability such as autism. This is why Stefanie Day works at Sawyer Elementary School–to give back to the community.

“It’s stressful but rewarding. Watching kids learn, and then getting that ‘aha’ moment,” Stefanie Day said. 

She has been working at the elementary for a long time now. She’s been there longer than even the principal.

“I have been working here for five years, and this will be my last year. I will be going into a different career path,” Stefanie Day said.

There are some ups and downs to working as an educator, one of those being having the summer, weekends, and other holidays off.

“The best part of having the same schedule as elementary students is that I get to plan according to the same schedule as my family,” said Stefanie Day.

There are always ways to improve learning environments for students. Stefanie Day has a few ideas that the Ames Community School District (ACSD) could work on.

“The district could take in what teachers need. This year they changed the time when school starts to 7:00 AM. Most teachers say it’s too early,”  Stefanie Day added.

Kindergarteners don’t understand that going to sleep late will impact their performance at school the next day. Stefanie Day thinks that school should start later in the day. 7:00 AM is too early.

Being an educator is tough. “Teachers have a lot on their plates, sometimes they slip up, and it’s hard to keep control and order of the classroom,” Stefanie Day said.