Teacher feature
small-town feel appeals to new teacher
Editor’s note: This is part of a series of stories that introduce new teachers and staff at Tracy Area Public Schools.
Avery Neyens has a lot on her plate these days. Not only has she just started teaching the third grade at Tracy Area Elementary School, she is far apart from her new husband, Jackson, who is serving in Georgia in the Army.
“I go and see him every chance that I can get,” Neyens said. “In the summer, I usually spend a couple months down there. He’s been down there for almost three years, and then he’s going to reenlist next year. We’re not quite sure where he’s going to be yet.”
Neyens said it’s difficult being so far away from her husband, but they make it work. And it helps that she is very close to his family.
“I go over there a lot, but I try to see him every chance I get,” she said. “Without cell phones, I don’t know if I could do it!”
Neyens was raised in Marshall and graduated from high school there in 2021. After high school, she attended Southwest Minnesota State University and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in K-6 Elementary Education. While she lives in Marshall, she’s not exactly a newcomer to Tracy, as she has student taught at TAES. After working as a long-term sub in Redwood Falls, her eyes lit up when she learned of the opening in Tracy.
“A bunch of teachers here reached out to me,” she said. “I kind of just wanted to start my teaching career in Minnesota. I got offered some jobs in Georgia, but I feel like I need to start here.”
Neyens said she originally was going to go to school for nursing, but that was before her high school Spanish teacher, Alex Boddy, really changed her view of the teaching profession.
“She had a great influence on me,” Neyens said. “My dad had passed away when I was a senior in high school, and she just made the work load less for me. She made learning fun and was there for me. I just want to do the same for my students.”
While Neyens might hail from Marshall, she is all about the Panthers now, and is looking forward to a great year with kids that she feels comfortable with.
“I just like how they have a love for learning,” she said. “I like how each of them have different personalities. I feel like this is an age where you can get along with everybody.”
Besides academics, Neyens said she wants her students to know she is always there to support them in every way and know they’re loved.
Not only is the third grade a perfect fit for Neyens, she knows TAES is a perfect fit for her as well.
“I think smaller-town schools are kind of my go-to,” she said. “I feel like you can really connect with the kids, other teachers and the community a lot better. I’m excited and a little nervous, but I know that it will be a great year. I have a great support system here with the other teachers. They have been really welcoming and positive.”
