The Allen County Intermediate Center (ACIC) will welcome four new teachers to their hallways when classes resume on August 10. Micaela Atwell, Josh Blankenship, Lauren Harris, and Ashley Holder will begin their teaching careers at the Intermediate Center.
Micaela Atwell is a 2013 graduate of Allen County-Scottsville High School and a 2017 graduate of Western Kentucky University. Atwell is excited to start her teaching career---a career that was inspired by an encounter with a child.
“Originally I was a physical therapy major,” Atwell explained. “I was working at the hospital one day and had an interaction with a child. From then on, I knew I wanted to do something in education.”
Atwell earned undergraduate degrees in Elementary Education and Special Education P-12. She will be teaching a sixth grade Exceptional Child Education class at the Intermediate Center.
The new teacher notes that her students and parents can expect a challenging classroom.
“I’m going to give 110 percent and I expect them (the students) to give 110 percent back,” Atwell said. “We are going to reach their goals and work on it really hard. We will struggle some days but we will get there.”
Atwell---a member of the Lady Patriot softball team while in high school---enjoys participating in sports, spending time with family, and her two dogs.
“It doesn’t seem real that I get to come back here and work,” Atwell added. “My hope was to get back here.”
Josh Blankenship graduated from Allen County-Scottsville High School in 2013 and Western Kentucky University in 2017. Blankenship enters the education profession inspired by his experiences as a student.
“I went into education first and foremost because of the teachers I had here in the Allen County School District,” Blankenship said. “They were outstanding to me and they turned me on to the act of learning. I figured that I could serve my community best by becoming a teacher and instill the love of learning that I have to my students like my teachers taught me. I figure the role by which I could achieve success would be to help at least one student get the love of learning like I have.”
Blankenship notes that he decided to seek his Elementary Education certification based on a couple of factors.
“Upon observing the elementary level, I learned that there are not many male role models,” Blankenship explained. “Hopefully, I can be a role model that young children will look up to. Also, I just clicked with students at that age because they still are eager to learn.”
Students and parents can expect Blankenship’s sixth grade classroom to be a place that promote learning each and every day.
“I have high expectations for my students,” Blankenship pointed out. “I want them to come in on day one and ready to learn and be excited to learn. I want them to hold me to the same expectations I have for them. I am going to learn just as much from them as they will from me. I want them to have confidence when they come in. I believe they can teach me more than I can teach them.”
Blankenship adds that he is happy to be back in Allen County.
“It’s surreal and a dream come true,” Blankenship noted. “I was part of the first class to go through the Intermediate Center. I thought it would be great to place to start. I see a whole career here because I love this school district. It’s means so much and has done so much to me. I hope to give back to the community. It feels great to be home.”
Away from education, Blankenship enjoys spending time with his friends and family and working in his church.
Lauren Harris graduated from Allen County-Scottsville High School in 2012 and from Western Kentucky University in 2016 with a degree in Elementary Education. She worked last year as an instructional assistant in a preschool classroom at the Allen County Primary Center.
“I have always wanted to be a teacher,” Harris said. “I had great teachers growing up here. They really inspired me go into teaching.”
Harris chose the elementary field due to her belief that early education teachers set the stage for learning.
“Elementary is the foundation for education,” Harris noted. “It’s really important to build a foundation to help students become successful later on in life.”
Looking ahead to what students and parents can expect in her fourth grade classroom, Harris says that communication will be a point of emphasis.
“I like communication between the parents and the teacher,” Harris said. “I want parents to be very involved in their child’s education. I want parents to be very involved. They will be getting newsletters and things like that.”
Harris is looking forward to the start of the new school year and the learning that in her own classroom.
“I’m excited,” Harris added. “Fourth graders are eager to learn and excited to be at school. They are also old enough to be given some independent things and learn to learn on their own. “
Away from the classroom, Harris enjoys spending time with her husband and one-year old and spending time at church.
Ashley Holder graduated from Allen County-Scottsville High School in 2013 and Western Kentucky University in 2017. The Elementary Education major is excited to step into a fourth grade classroom---the classroom of a former teacher of hers.
“I’m super-excited,” Holder said. “I love the age group. I did my student-teaching at that age and I loved being with them. I’m excited also because I feel like God placed me in this position. Also, I’m replacing Lori Blankenship who retired and she was my fourth grade teacher.”
Holder adds that a teaching career is a life-long dream.
“I have always wanted to be a teacher,” Holder explained. “Ever since I was little I have imagined having my own classroom. To, growing up, I was involved in cheerleading and got to be a little league cheer coach and that helped me to see even more that I wanted to be a teacher because I had the chance to actually teach kids.”
When asked what students and parents can expect in her classroom, Holder talked about creating a positive, fun, learning environment.
“Kids can expect a positive, uplifting classroom,” Holder noted. “They can come in and learn and make mistakes and then learn from their mistakes. They will have fun. We will have a positive classroom. I also want them to know that they can achieve anything. They have the potential to do anything they want to do. Parents should know that I want the best for their child. I will have open communication with parents. If they have questions or concerns, they can ask me anything at any time. Parents are a huge support system for their kids and their education.”
When she is away from school, Holder enjoys reading, baking, and spending time with her family. Holder also loves cheerleading---part of the reason that Holder will also serve at the cheer coach this year at the James E. Bazzell Middle School.
“I will try to instill in the cheerleaders at the middle school that with hard work, you can achieve anything,” Holder added. “I want them to have fun.”