Bringing the joy: Instructional assistant reflects on 30 years of working with young students

May 16—The pandemic would have been a darker experience for Jana Hall, Highland Elementary School instructional assistant, if it weren't for the kindergarten students she was able to help teach.

Working with students has been a blessing for Hall, who will retire at the end of this school year after 30 years of service to Daviess County Public Schools.

Throughout those years, she has worked with various grade levels of students, but predominantly has spent her time in kindergarten classrooms.

She enjoys the younger students because they bring "the joy," she said.

"This job has really been a blessing," she said. "I feel like God really opened a door for me."

A typical day for Hall consists of working one-on-one and in small groups with students. She and the classroom teacher also make it a point to meet together individually with each student weekly.

This is important for young learners, Hall said.

Like all teachers, the delivery of education sometimes has to change throughout the pandemic. Hall's mission of ensuring students are learning to the best of their ability remained the same, however. She and other educators also just wanted to make sure the learning and classroom experience was as normal as possible for students.

One thing Hall said impressed her the past few years was how students were able to pick up and master virtual learning so quickly.

There were some funny moments in Google Classroom meetings, like when students introduced their teachers and classmates to their pets, but it didn't take long for students to get into the swing of things, she said.

Luanne Robbins, HES kindergarten teacher, has worked with Hall for four years. When students had to log in to class from home, she said Hall worked hard observing students to ensure who was in need of additional support.

Hall also made connections with parents and communicated with the school leadership team and Family Resource Youth Service Center to become an outreach and support system for families in need, Robbins said.

"She's a spiritual support for all of us," she said, alluding to the fact that Hall can walk into a chaotic kindergarten classroom and maintain a peace that students feed off of. "She's also a really good reader of kids. She knows when they are struggling, or when they have something else going on, and she's able to connect with them so we can have their needs met so they can really learn."

Robbins said students have made great strides this school year, with the help of instructional assistants like Hall. She also said many of her students experienced disruptions, like everyone, during the pandemic.

There are especially concerns with social interactions, she said.

"We can definitely tell some students didn't spend a lot of time interacting with other kids," she said. "Jana and I have worked hard all year to incorporate lessons and tasks that allow for those moments for kids to learn, and they have made wonderful improvements."

Hall agreed and said that overall, students have come through the past few years as normally as they could. She said watching students grow throughout a school year is her favorite part of her job.

"Their growth from the start of kindergarten to the end of the year is incredible," she said. "You are just so proud of them, and they get so excited. They get so excited for school, and that's the joy. These kids bring me joy."

Bobbie Hayse, bhayse@messenger-inquirer.com, 270-691-7315