I was brand new to a school I barely knew about, and walking through those doors was a scary experience. My fourth grade teacher made an effort to help me be social and find friends. He taught me how to achieve as much as I could, and I know he did that because he really cared for his students. Teachers are often underappreciated, even though their jobs are one of the most important in society. They are dedicated to teaching our next generation of doctors, lawyers, and much more. In some cases, teachers will bring stories and opportunities from their outside lives, and incorporate them into their students’ education. 

Rachel Langer, a sixth grade science teacher and seventh grade math teacher at Cannon Falls Middle School has been teaching for over ten years, and has taught in multiple different places. “My first teaching job was in Costa Rica teaching English, Math, and Science to third graders,” she said. “ I was teaching students in English, and their first language was Spanish. I learned many new ways to teach information so that I could reach a variety of learners.” This transferred into her classrooms back in the United States, and it has helped her teach students at different levels. “I know that I have a variety of learners in my classroom, and being able to get the information in more than one way is helpful to most.” Mrs. Langer’s experiences in different places has helped her become a better teacher. “After two years in Costa Rica, I came home to teach in Northfield. There, I taught Math and Science to 6th graders.” Mrs. Langer later moved to Jacksonville, Florida for three years before returning to Minnesota and finding Cannon Falls in 2021. 

With teaching inevitably comes the ups and downs, but Mrs. Langer does her best to stay positive the whole day through. “I try not to let a bad five minutes wreck my whole day. One of my mantras is ‘this is just for now- it’s not forever.’” Not every day goes exactly as she plans it, but Mrs. Langer starts fresh with each new group of students. “I love the lightbulb moment,” Mrs. Langer said, “when everything clicks and the students finally say ‘I get it!’” When asked about her biggest goal in teaching, Mrs. Langer replied with “To create a relationship with each of my students, and have my classroom be a safe learning environment for all.” 

Missy Klapperich, a sixth grade social studies teacher, has been teaching for thirty years. “I have taught 2nd grade, 6th grade, English Language Learners, and gifted and talented students,” she said. Over the many years Mrs. Klapperich has taught, many opportunities have presented themselves to her. “Through teaching I have met people from many countries and have learned about a wide variety of cultures. I have developed strong relationships with individuals from American Indian communities in the midwest to specific families in Afghanistan,” she said.

During the 2021-2022 school year, Mrs. Klapperich brought two Native American people into the classroom to teach her students about their culture; Devin and Larry. They both came from Native American descent, and gave the kids a great opportunity to learn about Minnesota history. Larry Richie showed students how Native American people lived, and even brought a tipi to give them a hands-on experience. After showing them the tipi, Larry showed the kids different bison bones back in the classroom. Devin showed the students different games that Native Americans played, and talked to them about his experiences. Overall, Mrs. Klapperich continues to give her students the best education she can by bringing her outside relationships into the classroom. “It sounds rather cliche, but I honestly just want to leave the world a little bit better because I existed.” 

Mrs. Klapperich was surrounded by educators her whole life. “Both of my parents, my husband, my brother, my sister-in-law, my two sisters, my aunts and uncle, and my cousins were/are educators. I grew up watching my parents teach,” she recalled. However, Mrs. Klapperich never intended on being a teacher her whole life. “I wish I could say it was something I always wanted to do, but it wasn’t. I had planned to be an archaeologist, but working on a dig one summer taught me I needed something with a bit faster pace.” When she was unsure what to do with her life, Mrs. Klapperich decided to follow in her family’s footsteps, and become a teacher. 

Throughout the thirty years Mrs. Klapperich has been teaching, the hardest part of the day is when a student shows or feels disrespect. “Kindness and respect are essential in my classroom; essential in life. If students struggle with this, it really brings down the mood and the excitement of the entire class,” she said. Nonetheless, Mrs. Klapperich has her good days as well. “I love watching the classes where everyone is supportive and encouraging to each other, it feels like a family dynamic.” Mrs. Klapperich said one piece of advice she would give to her younger self is the same that she tells her students: it’s okay to make mistakes. “We learn so much from mistakes! We learn to adapt, adjust and try again.”

The Torch is the Middle School segment of the Lantern