Educator Q&A: Legacy teacher loves being positive influence

Legacy Traditional School’s Julia Shoemaker has been teaching for 20  years. She shared her insights with InMaricopa News.

What is your favorite part of being an educator? Being in a position to be a positive influence in a child’s life is rewarding. I consider it an honor to be instrumental in forming the foundation for each child to develop positive self-esteem, the confidence to take academic risks and the courage to have a voice.

Why did you choose education as a career? Actually, I chose psychology first. My college/career advisor told me I would make a great teacher. I didn’t have a positive experience in school as a child and didn’t think the teaching track was for me. I was willing to try, so I took some education classes and fell in love with the children and the subject. Realizing I could be a positive influence on the life of a child and his/her experience pulled me in.

Why Maricopa? We moved from a town of 5,000 people, and my husband was transferred through State Farm. We chose Maricopa because we liked the small-town atmosphere, the people and the instant sense of community we felt while looking for a house.

What are the biggest challenges facing Maricopa students today? Today’s world is such a different place than when I was growing up. I think our students have to juggle so many demands on their time: school, church, sports, homework, technology and, most importantly, family.

What was the best advice you received about your own education? My parents were excellent role models for my education. Next to family and church, our education was the most important priority. They taught me to respect my education, respect the educators, respect the system and respect myself.

What advice do you give parents of elementary schoolchildren? Two things: Be involved in every aspect of your child’s education and “there are blessings in a skinned knee.” Be there for your child and be supportive, but allow them to make mistakes and learn from them.

What have your students taught you? In 20 years, I’ve learned many lessons – humility, determination, patience, perspective and joy. They have taught me to be humble and to learn from them. I never give up on a child; even if I don’t see the success in the current year, it will come. They have definitely taught me to take a step back and relax. A lesson on perspective comes every year with every child. Each student comes in with a different story. And finally, to laugh! A day without laughter is a day surely wasted.

Julia N. Shoemaker
Title: 5th Grade Teacher
School: Legacy Traditional School
Hometown: Eureka, Illinois
Residence: The Lakes at Rancho El Dorado
Education: BA Elementary Education from Eureka College
Family: Husband Chris, daughters Abby (freshman at Grand Canyon University) and Katie (sophomore at Mountain Pointe High School)
Years in education: 20
First year with Legacy: 2014
Teaching experience: Third grade teacher at Peoria (Ill.) Academy (eight years); seventh grade language arts teacher at Eureka (Ill.) Middle School (nine years); fourth grade teacher Legacy Traditional School (year and a half); fifth grade teacher Legacy Traditional School (half a year)
First job out of college: I substitute taught for about a year before I was hired as a teacher at Peoria Academy in Peoria, Illinois.
Hobbies: I enjoy reading, movies, horses, baking and spending time with my family.
Favorite subject when you were in elementary school? I went to school in Misawa, Japan, and I enjoyed my Japanese culture class. We learned origami, customs and language. For regular subjects, I would have to say reading was my all-time favorite.

This story appeared in the January issue of InMaricopa News.