Editor’s Note: This is the second story in a series of articles part of a special print edition highlighting senior citizens in the community. Visit local businesses to pick up your copy or reach out to [email protected].
Helen Tuley has been a teacher for over 50 years with no plans to retire soon. Her son’s philosophy, “If you slow down, you’re gonna go down,” is what keeps her going.
Tuley has worked as a preschool para for seven years. Prior to working at Eudora, she worked in multiple schools across the country, teaching every grade in elementary school except kindergarten. She strives to teach the curriculum in a way that students find interesting. Her classrooms have always been a hands-on environment, from writing plays and designing sets, to playing with kinetic sand and cooking.
Tuley strongly believes that it’s important to never take the individuality out of teaching. By wearing her colorful glasses and mismatched socks, she helps students understand that it’s not about what you look like or what you wear, but about who you are. Tuley said she has always enjoyed working with children.
In high school, she taught Sunday school and was always babysitting, inspiring her to become a teacher. After teaching for a few years, Tuley noticed the injustice in the special education classrooms and decided to get a master’s in special education. She wanted to make sure all students had the opportunity to be taught in an environment that fits their needs.
Tuley said in all her years of teaching, she has never put a kid in time out or sent them to the office. Instead, she prefers to talk with the student and then move on.“I believe you praise publicly, and you discipline privately,” she said.
Tuley was raised on a farm, which led to her love for the environment. When she’s not teaching, Tuley is tending to her garden, growing cotton and mustard, planting flowers and taking care of her chickens. She keeps her garden colorful with antiques, vibrant chairs and even homemade signs and art. Tuley said she tries to incorporate her love for the environment into her teaching.
She teaches her students about composting and the difference between dirt and soil. She hopes this approach can open students up to learning things they may not experience elsewhere.
“Everything in my backyard is an experiment,” she said. “The kids come by all
the time because I have a worm farm and I compost and I have chickens.”
Tuley’s relationships with her students don’t end in the classroom. If you see her walking down the elementary school’s hallways, you’ll see her stop and hug her former students. She’s hosted game nights, birthday parties and other playdates at her house and consistently meets up with former students, both young and old. Tuley said getting to see the changes and growth in her students is just one more reason why she loves her job.
“There are days where you just want to quit and struggle, but then you have those things that happen that make you feel like a million dollars,” Tuley said.
Reach reporter Ryn Drummond at [email protected].
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