Empowering Educators - Mrs. Lynn Levins

Meet Mrs. Lynn Levins: First Grade Teacher and Half-Marathon Runner

Mrs. Levins is a first grade teacher at North Elementary School. Today, she was seen scurrying around the hallway, sporting her colorful dinosaur dress. With a smile on her face, she said - this is for the kids. They love it!

Mrs. Levins has been an educator for ten years, and her pathway to education was paved through personal life experiences and a-ha moments about the schooling of her personal children. First, she volunteered at her children's school and got a glimpse of the hard but rewarding work that teachers did. This sparked her interest in substitute teaching. While substitute teaching, Mrs. Levins also decided to go back to school. She obtained her teaching degree online through Western Governors University. Mrs. Levins said that participating in an online program allowed her to do what she needed to do educationally while still continuing to work during the day, and being there for her kids in the evenings.

Mrs. Levins explained that coming into education later on in life definitely has its advantages. Having  raised children of her own, Mrs. Levins stated that she has a better understanding of how to handle kids, but also, she has a better understanding of where parents come from. She said that she understands the frustrations, worries, and everything else that comes with parenthood.

When Mrs. Levins talked about her students, she said that her students are the reason she keeps coming back each and every day. The days when students get excited about learning and ask the teacher to "do it again", are the ones that make teaching rewarding. Small-group learning time is Mrs. Levins' favorite, she said. Why? Because this is where students are challenged, but also, it is the time when real connections can be made. Mrs. Levins says that small groups are great for learning and engagement, but also for relationship building. She talked about situations where students would tell her that they did not know each other's names, but had an opportunity to get to know one another in a safe environment in a small group. Mrs. Levins explained that his is the kind of learning that should be happening at schools - and this is where students want to be.

Besides teaching, Mrs. Levins has also tried their hand at running a small business. Recognizing the need in the community, Mrs. Levins and her family opened a bowling alley with a hope to provide a safe and fun atmosphere for families that they could enjoy at a low cost. The business brought a lot of excitement and enjoyment, but it also brought many heart aches. Mrs. Levins described how all of her resources - including time and energy, went into the business that just did not seem to give back financially. There were other perks though, she said. While Levins family has now closed this business, many memories have remained. Mrs. Levins described how students who came to visit at the bowling alley would often say "Mrs. Levins, I did not know you work here!". Mrs. Levins stated that this was important for the kids to see; they saw their teacher working like many of their parents, which, Mrs. Levins hopes, helped students to make a better connection to her in class.

Mrs. Levins admitted that the long days at school and long nights at the bowling alley took its toll on her. To overcome this, Mrs. Levins tapped into health foods and physical fitness activities.

She started running. It started out with one mile jogs that then extended into three miles, then into six miles. When her friends saw what she was doing, they jumped right in and now, there is a group of friends who are together dedicated the healthy life choices and physical activities. As jogging turned into running, a few miles here and there also turned into more and more miles every day. Now, Mrs. Levins trains for the 13.1 mile half-marathon, and she participates (along with her running mates) in half-marathons all over the state of Florida.

Mrs. Levins concluded her story by saying that running has turned into something more than just a hobby. It is now a lifestyle. Describing how running has changed her life, Mrs. Levins stated that she now starts her day at 3:30 am, and then runs for an hour prior to heading to work at NES. She stated: "Running gives me more energy that lasts throughout the day, and it empowers me to carry on as a mom and educator each and every day".

Dr. Tuuli Robinson
Educator and Lifelong Learner