Many Roads, One Destination: Diverse paths leading to teaching careers in One91

Not all teachers arrive at school through the traditional route of education degrees and student teaching. Some bring experiences from previous careers with unique perspectives and skills to their classrooms. These educators, who took non-traditional paths to teaching, prove that the journey to become a teacher can be as diverse as the students they wish to inspire.

Take Maria Gutierrez Beltran, for instance. Previously, she worked as an educational assistant (EA) at Rahn Elementary School and a bilingual educational assistant at Vista View Elementary before pursuing her teaching license through District 191’s Grow Your Own grant program. This fall, Gutierrez Beltran began her role as an English Language Acquisition teacher at Sky Oaks Elementary School. 

Or Amber Christman, now a kindergarten teacher at Rahn. She started as a parent volunteer. She then worked as a volunteer coordinator, as a part-time behavior education assistant and a media center education assistant.

Or Rahn Elementary second grade teacher Lisa Reuter, who reinvigorated her teaching career after taking time off to raise her children and working as a Special Education Assistant.

No matter the road taken, all three of these teachers' paths converged at one very specific point: a desire to make a difference in the lives of their students through teaching.

“Deep down, I have always wanted to be a teacher. I spent my childhood teaching my sister and playing with my favorite Barbie, Teacher Barbie,” said Christman. “After I had my kids, it was most important for me to be with them, but I still needed something to do, and every side job I did for extra income involved kids. It was just a matter of time before I became a teacher.”

Support from students, staff and family

For Gutierrez Beltran, it was her students who pushed her to continue to pursue careers where she could serve and inspire her community. 

“I am a mirror for students of color, reflecting their potential and future selves,” Gutierrez Beltran said. “During one of my EL (English Learner) observations, an EL student asked me how long it takes to learn English and how challenging it is, and how to prepare for college. He expressed that I was inspiring him and mentioned his aspiration to become a teacher as well.”

For Reuter, it was a welcome return to teaching. She taught in Rapid City, S.D., before moving to Minnesota in 2009. After taking nine years off to raise her children, she returned to education as a Special Education EA at Sioux Trail and Rahn. She returned to the classroom last year after earning her Minnesota teaching certificate.

“District 191 has helped me return to the classroom through the support I have received from my colleagues,” she said. “They have supported me by encouraging me and coaching me through the many tests I needed to study for, take and pass in order to receive my Minnesota teaching license. I couldn’t have done it without their words of encouragement and support.”

Grow Your Own opened opportunities to Gutierrez Beltran

Coworkers also pushed Gutierrez Beltran into District 191’s Grow Your Own program. While working at Vista View, her co-workers encouraged her to return to school to get her degree. Thanks to the Grow Your Own grant, she has saved money and kept working at Rahn while attending school and completing her student teaching. 

“I was empowered by the unwavering support of my community. The district has consistently provided me with invaluable support, starting from my enrollment as an ESL student in the Adult Basic Education Program in 2012,” she said. “Throughout my educational journey, the district has been an unwavering pillar of support.

The Grow Your Own program is a partnership between District 191, educator preparation programs, and community organizations that recruit and prepare high school students and non-certified school staff to enter the teaching profession and teach in their communities. Through the Grow Your Own program, the state provides funds that go toward tuition scholarships or stipends for district employees who are pursuing an education degree.

“Ultimately,” Gutierrez Beltran said, “the [Grow Your Own] program provided me with a paycheck while I was engaged in full-time student teaching. This alleviated the stress of covering my family’s expenses without a steady income. It was truly a lifeline for me.”

“I had the support of the whole Rahn community as I transitioned,” added Christman. “Knowing other staff from around the district, the excitement people had for me transitioning was incredible. I felt really welcomed and wanted. I was really excited to be able to stay in the One91 community.”

Gutierrez Beltran has found that going through Grow Your Own also helped her set an example and show the way for others.

“It’s an empowering message that communicates to students and their families the possibility of achieving a college degree. I am seen as a role model by students, their families and coworkers,” said Gutierrez Beltran. “They are inspired by the belief that if I can accomplish it, so can they.”

Serving a variety of roles

Working in other positions within the district also provides Christman, Gutierrez Beltran and Reuter with a different perspective on connecting with and teaching students.

“I had connected with students in a way that wasn’t as a teacher when I volunteered in the classroom,” Christman said. “I saw how things were in schools before it was my responsibility, and that helped me to know different ways to connect with students.”

“The time away from teaching and then working as a SPED assistant gave me a unique perspective on education,” Reuter said. “I was able to take the time to see education from a parent lens and used that to make myself a better educator.”

For Gutierrez Beltran, the opportunity to observe different teachers has provided her with a toolbelt full of different teaching strategies to use. “I also pay attention to students who don’t participate too much, knowing they may be struggling,” she said. “I work with small groups which allows me to engage students in active participation.”

Life experiences — getting married, having children, buying a home — have all proven to be valuable for Christman. “I can put more energy and focus into teaching,” she said. “And I am much more confident in my abilities as a teacher than I would have been 15 years ago.”

Following their path

Christman, Gutierrez Beltran and Reuter expressed no regrets about taking the paths they did to teaching, and aren’t shy about sharing their wisdom with those seeking to follow them into the classroom.

District 191’s Grow Your Own program “presents a wonderful opportunity,” Gutierrez Beltran said.

“Participants will receive the necessary support and guidance throughout this program, specifically tailored to help individuals from diverse backgrounds pursue careers in teaching,” Gutierrez Beltran added. “It is crucial for students from underrepresented communities to have educators who reflect their own experiences and backgrounds.”

“Be ready for an adventure because you never know what’s coming next,” Christman said. “Be flexible. Plans change minute by minute in my classroom!”

Reuter sums it up nicely: “If you have the passion and knowledge for making a difference in the life of a child, then this is the career for you!”