By Aubreanna Miller
For the Herald
Wayne High School's English department gained a new staff member this year with a familiar face.
After receiving her degree in secondary English education with a minor in Editing and Publishing from Wayne State College, Grace Longe decided to kick off her career where her desire for teaching began, at WHS.
Longe graduated from WHS in 2019, before starting her freshman year of college during the beginning of the pandemic.
During her time at WSC, Longe participated in Susan Buffet Scholars events and subbing within the Northeast Nebraska Teacher Academy (NENTA).
NENTA acts as a partnership between WSC and the Northeast Nebraska Network Consortium to both promote classroom time for aspiring teachers and combat the shortage of substitute teachers in this area, according to the WSC website.
"Through NENTA, I got to have classes in the mornings and then sub in the afternoons," Longe said. "It was such a unique experience because I could take exactly what I learned in class that morning and utilize those skills only hours later."
Longe's classes focused on educating junior high and high school aged students, but her subbing experience covered kindergarten through twelfth grade.
"I got to see the ins and outs of many different types of classrooms and gain different perspectives I would not have received otherwise," Longe said. "But I did realize it was much more exciting to work within my subject area."
Following college graduation, Longe said the decision to go back to the Wayne Public School district came easily to her. Though she only graduated high school four years ago, the new teacher has noticed a few key changes including class sizes, new staff members and technology.
In the current climate of AI and ChatGPT, teachers have had to gain an increased awareness of the uses of these technologies.
Longe said she creates an open atmosphere in her classroom to discuss the ethics involved with new technology. "Together, we discuss the misconceptions about [ChatGPT], and talk about how we can use these tools ethically," she explained.
Secondary English education gives her the opportunity to teach both creative and practical lessons, she added. She enjoys helping her students transition into adulthood, offering guidance in their plans for the future and listening to their humor.
Outside of the classroom, Longe enjoys running, reading American classics and experiencing farm life on her and her husband's farm located outside of Wayne.
"This has been the perfect place for me to start my teaching career," Longe said. "I filled in the spot for Mrs. Hypse, who made me want to be an English teacher. To come back and take her spot was a huge honor. It felt very nerve wracking to do it justice, but I could not turn that down."
