Donna Shane knew that she wanted to be an early elementary educator from when she was a young girl attending St. Mary’s Catholic Community School in Crown Point.
“I had some profound teachers at St. Mary’s who have really shaped my attitude about being a teacher,” Shane said. “I loved my first and third grade teacher, and they made such an impact on me that I knew early on that I wanted to become a teacher and not only become a teacher, but work in the Catholic schools.”
A Region native, Shane graduated from Crown Point High School and received a degree in education from Concordia University. She has been teaching for 28 years in the diocese.
After college, she substitute taught for a year, experiencing a variety of grade levels before landing an interview for a fifth grade position at St. Edward’s School in Lowell.
“I was trying to tell them how much I loved fifth grade because I wanted a job,” Shane said. “Then, I discussed that I had student-taught in kindergarten and I had an endorsement in kindergarten. The principal interviewing me said ‘Well, we’re looking for a kindergarten teacher, too,’ and I did a complete 180 in the middle of the interview. We talked for about half an hour, and I was hired that day as a kindergarten teacher.”
Shane was encouraged to seek other positions as St. Edwards began the process of closing. Around that time, St. Paul Catholic School had built a new building, and it was the first year it was offering kindergarten classes. She applied to teach one of the two classes of students St. Paul was offering, and she has now been with the school for 18 years.
“I have stayed with St. Paul for all of this time because of the family atmosphere,” Shane said. “I felt welcomed in my first year from the families who had been there forever. For some, I have taught every single one of their kids, so it’s nice to see them in the halls or in public and they recognize and care for you.”
Shane understands the opportunity that exists in kindergarten for a teacher to make a big impact on one’s educational life.
“It’s awesome knowing I can give students an experience that they love and will continue to love the joy of learning,” Shane said. “It’s equally an awesome responsibility to have the ability to make a difference in a child’s life so that they love learning for their whole life.”
In Shane’s classroom, you’ll find alternative seating, with students on bouncy balls or wobble stools to encourage learning. She also inspires students with her mindset she calls “the power of yet.”
“Whether it’s seeing the older kids and feeling defeated about their age, or not being able to read or score a goal in soccer, I remind them that they just can’t do it yet, but their time will come. I wear my T-shirt that says ‘power of yet’ frequently, and I am quick to remind students while in the building to add yet to the end of their sentences when they can’t do something.”
Shane and her husband have been married for 23 years and also have a fur baby at home. Her aunts, uncles and cousins mostly all live within three towns of each other in the Region. She even convinced her brother to become a teacher, and he now works within the Hanover Community School Corporation.
Shane’s passion for learning extends not only to her students, but herself, too. She has taken classes over the past summer to improve her ability to teach students how to read, her own favorite subject. When she’s not teaching, learning or reading, she spends time traveling and relaxing with her husband.
“I love the community outreach that I see in the area,” Shane said. “I am involved with the American Cancer Society, and we work really hard with the Relay for Life. I even helped start a recess relay event that is similar to the Relay for Life at St. Paul. I love how people in the Region band together for people who are in need and support them. We are a small but mighty area.”