“When I was in high school, I was the kid others came to when they needed help with a class. I liked tutoring my friends, and as I got closer to graduation, I realized what path that inclination was leading me to.”
When Shelby Bamesberger graduated from college in Lincoln, Nebraska, she didn’t foresee that she would soon be living in Wisconsin. But Shelby had cast a wide net in her search for teaching positions, determined not to let the comforts of the known limit her opportunities as an educator. After examining opportunities across the nation, Shelby decided to apply at Hillsboro.
“My first job was in Hillsboro. I was hired in 2022 as a middle school teacher. I spent my first two years with the middle schoolers, which is a formidable entry point for a new teacher. But, I really enjoyed the kids, and that age group demanded a level of engagement that required me to evolve my practice.” Ms. Bamesberger responded to the demands of a kinetic middle school classroom by sharing her enthusiasm for the subject matter with her students, “I remember teaching my 7th-grade students about the Great Emu War, and becoming so involved in acting out scenes that we missed the bell for the next class - and not just by a few minutes. It was an accident, but I’ll always remember it as a turning point for me - the kids were just as absorbed as I was.”
Ms. Bamesberger has kept this momentum as an educator, pushing for continuous development. “Last year, I transferred to my current position as a high school social studies and GED Option 2 teacher. I feel really at home here, like I’ve landed where I belong,” she explains. “Education is a really difficult job, and it’s particularly difficult for teachers just starting out. The support I received in Hillsboro made all the difference, and the culture of pushing for each other, and for our kids, that’s what keeps me here.”
“I have a goal to hone my courses over the next five years. I want to keep shaping them based on feedback from students and mentors, make sure the content covers the standards and engages the students. To help kids connect with the reality that Civics is incredibly alive, and consequential in all of our lives, and that engaging with it allows them to shape their future – that’s my purpose.” But like all educators, Shelby’s life stretches beyond the borders of the school. In her free time, she decompresses with hobbies. “I love hiking. I watch movies or play video games to unwind.”
When asked if she had anything she felt the community should know about her, Ms. Bamesberger mused, “Oh, dear. I’ll be run out of town, but…I'm a proud Dodgers fan.”
Photo Credit: Gem Elmer