Spotlight Staff of the Month

              This year, Licking R-VIII School District is excited to have the assistance of our two Teaching Methods Coaches, Mrs. Telena Haneline (elementary) and Mrs. Heather Hawn (secondary). While these ladies were resistant to being recognized for their work, they have already provided tremendous support to our entire staff. To shed light on the duties of Teaching Methods Coaches and celebrate the dedication of these leaders, Licking R-VIII School District features Mrs. Haneline and Mrs. Hawn as August Spotlight Staff Members!

                When asked to describe their primary mission, Mrs. Haneline and Mrs. Hawn shared ‘The Big Three’. “We are working hard to support the process of aligning curriculum to make sure we can identify gaps in instruction. To help streamline decision-making and lesson planning for teachers, we have been reviewing available assessment data and supporting teachers and students in implementation of our new assessment tool, iReady. We’re also here to support teachers and help them feel connected to resources and expertise from one another.” Rather than volunteering details about themselves, Mrs. Haneline and Mrs. Hawn shared how impressed they have been with the amount of teacher dedication, creativity, and resilience in our district.

                When asked to share celebrations, our Teaching Methods Coaches spoke about those of the district as a whole. “We have had the opportunity to see how skilled our teaching staff is, we are blessed to have the resources of our new data collection tool, and we are excited to have scheduled teacher collaboration time. Also, we have renewed energy after collaborating with other Teaching Methods Coaches in the area and discovering ways to support learning in the district,” say Haneline and Hawn. New positions come with new challenges, and Mrs. Haneline and Mrs. Hawn reflected on the limitations of time and scheduling. “We could always use more hours in the day to collaborate with teachers. Scheduling time to talk when teachers have a limited amount of planning time is something we continue to refine.”

                Since Mrs. Haneline serves as Elementary Teaching Methods Coach, she has been an instrumental part of classroom relocation into the new building. “I’ve moved classrooms several times myself, so we’re able to look together at how traffic flow would work nicely, how to place furnishings to maximize student attention, and how to simply get everything to fit in rooms where we’re trying to socially distance students.” Mrs. Hawn shared that although secondary teachers haven’t had the transition to a new building, several teachers have moved into different classrooms, and there are several new district initiatives staff members are experiencing. “We’re really calling on our interpersonal skills to help everyone troubleshoot new technology and increasing connections between school and home as students move in and out of quarantines. This can be overwhelming at home and at school, but we’re adapting and growing,” Hawn said.

                Mrs. Haneline is in her 23rd year in education this year. She has taught on post at Fort Leonard Wood, at a charter school in Colorado, at Dent Phelps School District, and in Tennessee where she was recognized as Teacher of the Year. Mrs. Haneline has returned home to Licking where she has worked as a Wildcat for three years. Mrs. Haneline is working toward her specialist and doctoral degrees which adds to her evening and weekend commitments. “I’m so blessed to have the love and support of my family – my husband of 18 years, Chris, (who is the peace to my hurricane), and my beautiful daughters, Ally (a junior this year) and Lisa (5th grader).”

                Mrs. Hawn is in the first few months of her 21st year in education. She began her teaching career in Orrick, MO, where she was a high school science teacher and three-season coach. From there, Mrs. Hawn transferred to Salem to teach high school science and coach, and she settled into Licking High School 16 years ago. Mrs. Hawn is well-known for her dedication to students and teachers alike. She has completed her Master’s degree. “None of this would be possible without my support system at home,” Mrs. Hawn said. “My husband, Conway, and I have been married 21 years, our son, Cliff, is a senior this year, and our son, Christian, is a freshman. They help keep me motivated!”

                Mrs. Haneline and Mrs. Hawn spent most of their interview reflecting on their pride for staff in the district and sharing how hard everyone is working. Promoting others is a strength of both of our Teaching Methods Coaches. We are fortunate to have this dynamic duo in positions to maximize their contributions. They offer a combined 43 years of classroom work while adding positive energy and diverse experiences to Licking R-VIII School District. For these reasons, we are honored to recognize Mrs. Haneline and Mrs. Hawn as our Spotlight Staff of the Month.