Our "Employee Spotlight" series aims to showcase the unique personalities, talents, and stories that contribute to the success of our district. This section celebrates the incredible individuals who make our Lansing USD469 community thrive.
Jennifer Bishop, PE and Health Teacher, Peer Leadership Facilitator and Head Girls Track and Girls Basketball Coach
Question: How long have you worked in Lansing USD469?
Answer: 14 years
Question: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and the role you have within the school district?
Answer: I have taught in this district for 14 years (eight of those as an 8th grade English teacher), and now enjoy teaching PE and Health along with teaching Peer Leadership. I really enjoy getting to know kids at all grade levels and especially being able to teach kids from 6th grade through 8th grade. I become a familiar face to them when they get new teachers every single year. In Health and PE, we focus on individual improvement, so seeing kids reach their goals is neat to see not just during the semester, but throughout their middle school years.
In Peer Leadership, kids focus on making a difference in Lansing Middle School along with making an impact on their peers, LMS staff, and their community. Each year is different, and I let them decide their own path. Throughout the years, they have started traditions at LMS that have stayed with our school, and that is pretty fun to see! I love to see how their leadership continues into their high school careers!
Question: What do you enjoy most about your role and the work you do in the school district?
Answer: Although I truly enjoy teaching, one of my favorite things to do is coach. I love coaching basketball and track! I have awesome assistants who continue to make me enjoy my job coaching, and the kids that come out for the activities make it all worth it. Seeing them grow as hard workers, great teammates and competitors, as well as respectful opponents, is such a rewarding thing to see. My favorite times are during track, which anyone can go out for, and seeing kids succeed and do well and are so incredibly proud of themselves and their hard work. It's a great experience to be part of that with them!
Question: When you're not working, what hobbies or activities do you enjoy?
Answer: We love sports in our house, and we love watching our own kids play, besides coaching in the school district. We have one daughter that plays volleyball in college at UMSL, and one that plays at Lansing High School. We also operate Midwest Blitz Volleyball Club, so we do that on the side to offer opportunities for area kids to become involved in volleyball at the club level and be a feeder into the Lansing program.
Question: What is something unusual about you that most people don't know?
Answer: My husband is the boys PE teacher! We work alongside each other every day, and we love it! It's pretty cool to have someone by my side both in work and outside of work! We have had a great time supporting kids together teaching and running our local volleyball club! So we work together quite a bit and are a great team!
Question: Could you share a particularly heartwarming or memorable experience you've had while working with students or colleagues?
Answer: In track we run heats in events. There are usually two fast heats and the rest are heats for participants. I had a runner who just wanted to be part of the team one year and was not particularly fast. She knew it, but worked just as hard as everyone else every day. One meet, she got ready to run the 100m dash and while she was running she was in first place, and when she got done she looked back to see she had won her heat. She couldn't believe it. Now, this was not first place overall, but it was to her. She came right over to me and gave me a huge hug and told me she got first place, and she never thought she could do that! I hugged her right back and told her- absolutely she got first place, and congratulations! And that brought tears to my eyes - she got first place in her book, and that's all that mattered to her on that day.
Question: What piece of advice would you like to offer to students to help them succeed and make the most of their educational journey?
Answer: There is always a path to greatness - it may not be the easiest path, but you will get there. I tell my kids all the time to have goals and keep on working towards it, even if you have to take detours. You can always get there somehow, someday.