Eagle Grove teacher Jen Conaway stopped in her tracks on her way into her first grade classroom, stunned to find a camera crew and television host Abby Brown from Iowa PBS waiting for her. "I was very surprised when I walked into my classroom and saw cameras, the PBS crew," Conaway told the Eagle.
"Mrs Conaway doesn't know it yet, but we've heard about the tremendous impact that she's having on kids," from the mother of a former student, Brown said, in a video segment recorded just before the crew surprised Conaway. "So we're here to raise her up!"
Brown was alluding to Iowa PBS's new "Raise Up Teachers" initiative, designed "to highlight the amazing work teachers do inside and outside of the classroom," a press release from PBS explained. "Each month, an educator is selected from submissions to be featured on social media and online. Members of the Iowa PBS team visit the teacher’s school and surprise the featured teacher, letting them know they have been selected for the month." And Conaway is the very first teacher in Iowa to be chosen for the honor.
The story of how, and why Conaway was chosen had begun four years before. Now ten year old Fernando Colorado had "a really tough kindergarten year," Fernando's mother Katelyn Colorado told PBS. "When he came to first grade, Mrs. Conaway was so focused on making sure that Fernando had the help he needed.”
"Katelyn, Fernando’s mom, is an amazing advocate for her son," Conaway told the Eagle, noting that Katelyn has always gone "above and beyond" for her kids. And when Conaway noticed Fernando was having a tough time, she reached out to his Mom. "I talked with her about things he could work on and she got right on it. I implemented extra supports in the classroom to help Fernando."
Even with the extra supports in place, the two women "still noticed Fernando needed more support." Conaway suggested Fernando take some tests in Iowa City, and Katelyn followed that advice. "We sought out assistance," Conaway said, waning technical for a moment before noting that they arranged for him to "receive services that focused on the areas he needed help with." Which did the trick, allowing Fernando to make progress towards his goals. "Fernando thrived," Conaway said.
Four years later, Colorado would tell her story to PBS after hearing about the Raise Up Teachers program, nominating Conaway. Clearly impressed, the network chose Conaway for their first Raise Up Teachers honoree. Which led up to the moment when Conaway found the PBS crew in her classroom, along with Katelyn and Fernando, and Fernando's younger brother Antonio, 9, who presented Conaway with flowers and an Iowa PBS gift bag as they told her she'd been selected as Iowa's first Raise Up Teachers honoree. A large card recognizing Conaway as an Iowa PBS featured teacher was also set up, for her students to sign.
As Brown related, Katelyn "told us how you really see her kids, and how you serve the kids, and how you make everyone so happy," as Conaway blinked away happy tears. "It took me a while to process what they were telling me," Conaway admitted.
Also there to honor Conaway was Eagle Grove Elementary Principal Jared Carder. "We’re very lucky to have you in Eagle Grove," Carder told Conaway, noting that Conaway is "a phenomenal leader" for the school's first grade team.
The Colorados agreed.
"Mrs. Conaway is an amazing teacher and person overall," Katelyn told the Eagle. "The impact she's had on every single member of my family is remarkable. She was so deserving of this!"
In the segment filmed for Iowa PBS, Brown asked Fernando "what is different about Mrs. Conaway?" "She understands me," Fernando replied without hesitation.
"We need to give each child what they need to be successful," Conaway told the Eagle. Which means taking a personalized approach for each student, taking into account who they are as a person in the moment, Conaway said. "At our school we do a great job of building relationships with our students. As a teacher, I try my best to help each child work up to their highest potential."
PBS is looking for more nominees. “Iowa PBS loves teachers," said Brown, noting that a lot of what the network does is producing content and lesson plans to help teachers. "We also understand that educators and school staff give of themselves in ways that make a big difference, sometimes all the difference, in a child's life, and those efforts often go unnoticed. We want to hear those stories, recognize those efforts and raise up those teachers.”
As thrilled as she was to be honored, Conaway put the payoff for her in more modest terms. "I love when it clicks for them and they have success."
To watch the video of the Iowa PBS segment, visit youtu.be/L7yXTU_6lOs. And to share your story about an educator or school staffer who made a special difference for you, or a child in your life, visit: iowapbs.org/teachers
