The Reichert Mortgage Team is always amazed by the wonderful submissions we receive for our “Heroes in the Community” series. Thank you to the El Paso community for sharing these exceptional individuals, it was an honor reading all the submissions! It is inspiring to see how much educators impact us all at different points throughout our lives.
In our Heroes in the Community series, we strive to highlight the people who make a difference in Southern Colorado. As a VA mortgage broker, both our Pikes Peaks Heroes Program and this blog series are the least we can do to show support. These are the ways that The Reichert Mortgage Team says “Thank You” to the outstanding individuals in our community.
For March, we have the pleasure of interviewing a local teacher from Fountain. Let’s meet Lindsey Roath! She is our winner for our monthly installment of Heroes in the Community.
Interview with Our Winner: Lindsey Roath
“Lindsey is a mother to 3 wonderful kids aging from 8 months to 14 years and has been married to her husband Paul for over 10 years. Her love for reading, her family, and her occupation shine through!”
A Bit About Lindsey
I have been a teacher for 14 years all over this is now the 5th state that I have taught in thanks to my husband being in the Army. We have a few more duty stations left to go, so there might be more. I am currently teaching at Welte Education Center in Fountain. Being able to work with children in small group settings is so powerful and such a great environment to teach in. I have waited a long time to teach in a place like this.
How Lindsey Got into Teaching
My mom was a teacher my whole life and was the Director of Special Ed and helped to draft legislation to help children. I said I would not be a teacher and then I started coaching and realized that I could be my own type of teacher because I can allow kids to learn how to be successful and learn to think independently. I learned a lot about learning where you fit in these schools. I am working on teaching teachers how to adjust and adapt to this changing world once done with my Ph.D. It surprised me, considering that I never actually wanted to be a teacher because I came from a family of teachers, but I love what I do.
What She Loves About Being a Teacher
What I love most about my occupation is that when kids I adore decide that they want to be teachers and they reach out to ask me for advice or ask to do their student teaching with me; it is impactful. Also, the nature of the building I’m currently in, I get to know not just my students but their families as well. I truly get to know these kids on a deeper level. I always felt that education should be about family and I feel like we can do that where I am now. Being able to make kids think without realizing they are thinking.
Challenges that Lindsey Faces as a Teacher
Challenges that I face as a teacher are that everyone thinks they know how to educate because they were educated and the expectation that they could be a teacher and some of it is that those are the ones that have children who have behavioral and emotional problems. Also, the battle against technology. It is so hard keeping the kids entertained for more than a 15-second Snapchat video. Having technology always accessible is not teaching kids to actively listen. I think so often we use technology just to use it because we are so sucked in. I promise I am not trying to fail your kids for fun, it’s so hard having to work against all the changes the world going through.
A Day-in-the-Life with Lindsey
A day-in-the-life for me looks like getting up with the baby, have some family time, and my coffee. Teach all day and then teach Sophomores and Juniors in a credit recovery class. I sub during my planning periods because we are short-staffed some days thanks to COVID. Family dinner at home is early or late depending on if hubby is home or deployed. Then I work on my Ph.D. stuff and the household stuff. Then we have 30-45 minutes of reading-type things before we are off to bed. I teach English so we love to read and try and do as much of it as we can as a family unit. We read or create something before tablet/computer time. There are over 2,500 books in my classroom and probably 1,000 books at home.
How Can the Community Help Teachers Like Her?
The community could help me and my industry by realizing that teachers are people too and finding ways to help and assist in whatever capacity you can. If you do not like what is being taught, then it’s probably a financial issue. Be supportive of our teachers not just fundraising and restaurant nights but to have the best intent, teachers are there to help your child not go against your child, it a two-way street. We learned during the pandemic that teachers really need funding. And the whole we did that in high school is because the reality of it is that it takes thousands of dollars to get a whole new set of books for a whole classroom. The amount of education I have does not correlate to the money I spent versus the money I make as a teacher. There should be more of a monetary incentive to teachers as well.
What Charity Did Lindsey Want to Donate to?
The charity I would choose would be The Joan Dunmire Scholarship fund scholarship. This is for the mentorship of teachers, in honor of her mother who spent 30 years in the same district. This Scholarship allows for a teacher in a district to get more credit hours so that they can be fully licensed, or for a PARA to become licensed. It is not cheap to become a teacher, so any way that we can help keep or get amazing teachers is worth it!
Do You Know a Hero Who Deserves Recognition?
Do you know an everyday hero? Someone who is dedicated to improving the community? Then they may qualify for our Heroes in the Community series. The Reichert Mortgage wants to hear about these exceptional people and give them a platform to tell their story. As we receive nominations, we closely review them and select a winner. From here we schedule an interview with them and donate $100 to a charity of their choice.
Between our ongoing Pikes Peak Heroes Program and this blog, we are always looking for ways to support the amazing people that make Colorado Springs and the surrounding areas great places to live. Help us recognize the dedication and sacrifice these professionals make and submit your nominations in the upcoming months!
Stay tuned for our next nomination announcement! The April Heroes in the Community nomination is coming your way soon! We are looking forward to reviewing the amazing individuals you send our way.
