Madison Elementary School’s special education teacher Celeste Hains didn’t plan on being a teacher. In fact, she was a social worker who was working on her marriage and family therapy license. It was her son’s principal, Kate Butkowski, who approached her about substitute teaching for St. Cloud Area School District. Hains gave it a try, and soon, substitute teaching led to long-term substitute teaching which led to a teaching degree.
“I love working with individuals with all abilities,” says Hains. “I love teaching and problem-solving.”
Hains originally completed her bachelor’s degree in social work with an emphasis on xenophobia at St. Cloud State University. She went back to school at Capella University to finish her master’s degree in marriage and family therapy. Just as she wrapped up her master’s, she enrolled at Bemidji State University to acquire her teaching license.
What drew her to teaching? The kids.
“When I was a sub, I never subbed for a general ed class,” explains Hains. “I love working with individuals with IEPs (individualized education plan) and various abilities. I always focus on the abilities, not the disabilities. Just getting to know them and those relationships is what drew me in.”
Hains feels the relationship between parents and herself is just as important as the relationship with her students. She often will tell parents, “They may be your babies at home, but they are my babies at school. I’m going to take really good care of them.” One of her fondest memories is walking one of her students across the stage at graduation and being asked to be that student’s godmother.
While teaching at Apollo High School, a lot of her students were embarrassed to be on an IEP, but she uses her own disability as an example of how having an IEP can be a good thing.
“I’m very open about my disability,” says Hains. “I use that as a tool to help. I’m so grateful that I carried that IEP with me to college because that helped support me. There are a lot of kiddos who would love this type of support. I try to turn it to a positive.”
Hains taught DCD (developmental cognitive disabilities) students at Apollo before teaching elementary EBD (emotional or behavioral disorder) students. She loves everything about her job.
“I’m one of the first ones here because I’m excited to come,” says Hains. “I am one of the last staff to leave because I am excited to be here and get ready for the next day. It may sound corny, but it’s true.”
Hains loves that she does not have a typical day. She teaches social skills and self-management for 20 students. She has individual time with each student, but also spends a lot of time in classrooms giving additional support. During COVID-19, she has students who are in school and some that are hybrid, which means working with students virtually, over the phone and in-person. She meets the students on their need level.
When Hains isn’t teaching, she spends time with her two children, attends grad school and loves to work in her yard.
“When it’s warmer out, my daughter and I are turning our yard into an edible yard,” shares Hains. “It was an idea I read about. Empty lots in small towns were able to give away free food. So, we planted apple and peach trees, raspberries and lots of miscellaneous things. This was our first year that we actually produced peaches. We donated 250 and we kept 10 of them for ourselves. I always view everything as a community. Our school is a community, my classroom, my neighborhood.”
Hains is all about putting positivity out into the world. She believes a lot of lessons come out of service learning.
Something she often says to her students and staff, “We are each an amazing puzzle, sometimes it’s easy to find the right piece that goes in the right spot, sometimes it’s not; that’s when we need some help. There are times I help find the pieces and there are times I need help finding the pieces. But it’s important to remember we all need help sometimes, and we all should help when we are able.”
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