For Brianna Reshan, teaching is a source of great fulfillment and an opportunity to leave a positive impact on students’ lives. Initially, she was drawn to the idea of teaching kindergarten, but she found a true passion for working with fourth graders at Hums Elementary School.
A graduate of Penn High School in Mishawaka, Reshan began her higher education at Indiana University South Bend with the intent of studying psychology. However, in her sophomore year, she realized that pursuing a degree in elementary education would be a better fit for her.
“I've always loved kids,” Reshan said. “I grew up attending a Catholic school where I was part of a group that looked after the younger kids during church services. My fondness for working with young children led me to minor in early childhood development. I figured kindergarten was the youngest I could teach, so that became my inspiration — to work with little kids and have a classroom full of littles.”
After completing her student teaching at Emmons Elementary School in December 2016, Reshan faced the challenge of finding a teaching position mid-year. She spent the remainder of that school year as an instructional aide at Emmons.
When the new school year began, Reshan stepped into a sixth-grade teaching role at Emmons. After two years, she transitioned to fourth grade. Then, the unpredictability of the COVID-19 pandemic complicated things.
“By August of 2020, most parents still weren’t comfortable sending their kids back to school in person, so we started the year fully virtual across the district,” Reshan said. “In September, they planned to bring in kids who wanted to attend in person, but they also needed teachers for the virtual side since many students stayed online. As a result, there was a lot of shuffling around. Some teachers had to stay virtual for health reasons, leaving positions that needed to be filled. My principal came to me one day and told me I’d be starting at Hums in a week. I spent a year teaching fourth grade at Hums, expecting to return to Emmons, but when a fourth-grade position opened up at Hums, I applied and got it. I’ve been lucky to stay here ever since.”
Reshan's students are the highlight of her work. She delights in the individuality each child brings to her classroom.
“My favorite thing about my job is definitely the kids’ personalities,” Reshan said. “They’re so much fun — they’re hilarious and playful with so many different traits. I just love seeing their faces; I really love my students.”
To Reshan, living and working in Michiana brings about a unique charm. While the area has many perks of a larger city, it also has the close-knit feel of a small town.
“There’s something about the Michiana area that gives it a small-town feel,” Reshan said. “Even though South Bend and Mishawaka might be considered larger cities, to me, this feels like the perfect medium. It’s not like a big city with multiple school districts and tons of people. Here, it’s small-town enough that, as a teacher, I don’t feel like just a number. I feel seen. I know the superintendent, and he could call me by name. I feel established in the community. If I moved to a bigger city, I think it would be completely different.”
Outside of the classroom, Reshan enjoys being with friends and family, attending concerts, spending time at the beach, and traveling — she recently visited Europe.
“Even though teaching is a difficult job, it can be incredibly rewarding,” Reshan said. “There’s nothing like the feeling that I’m doing something positive that will impact someone for the rest of their life. When kids and parents come back to tell you that you’ve made an impact, it’s the best feeling in the world.”