Jane Leinwand reflects on 23 year of teaching

Lincoln-McKinley Primary School teacher Jane Leinwand, a 23-year educator, received the third Havre Public Schools Pony Pride Award for her work and impact on the students of the district over her career.

The monthly award was implemented this school year in an effort to bring attention to individuals in the district who do outstanding work and whose contributions positively affect the lives of students.

The first award was presented by Havre Public Schools Superintendent Brian Gum to Havre High School Assistant Principal Jeremiah Nitz in September, who chose Havre High School Attendance Secretary Kaci Hipple as its second winner last month, with Hipple going on to select Leinwand this month.

"You not only improved my child's academic abilities but you also instilled valuable knowledge and life lessons that will serve as a foundation for his future," Hipple said Tuesday evening as she presented the award.

In an interview Wednesday, Leinwand said she felt humbled by receiving the award and grateful to Hipple for considering her, but she absolutely wasn't expecting it.

"I teach with the best so I never thought that I would have gotten it," she said.

Leinwand has been a teacher for 23 years, having gone to college in Havre and settling in the area with her college sweetheart, Havre High School science teacher Mike Leinwand. They have two children Tyson, 21, and Lindsey, 16.

Jane Leinwand said she originally taught at Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation for eight years, but after Tyson, who has special needs, was born, the commute increasingly became an issue, so she started teaching in town at Lincoln-McKinley.

She said she was originally inspired to teach by a pair of her own high school teachers, Delores Slovarp and Joe Furshong, the latter of whom still calls or texts her every week.

Since starting at Lincoln-McKinley, she said, she's only found more mentors and friends in fellow teachers like Erin Olson as well as former administrators like Andy Carlson and Karen Swenson.

She said she's come to think of everyone at Lincoln-McKinley as a family and they are always there to support and inspire her, and she credits a great deal of her achievements as a teacher to their influence.

"I'm a reflection of the people I teach with," Leinwand said.

She said she's always loved being around children and the third and fourth grade levels are her passion as a teacher.

She said students at that age still love school, still love their teachers and that kind of connection is something that has become invaluable to her.

Leinwand said she loves the "ah-ha moment" when things click in a student's mind and they understand something, she loves the moments of levity and the laughter they bring in the classroom, and she loves the students who come back to visit her, and many do.

She said she loves her job, but it doesn't come without difficulties.

She said there are a lot of expectations the teachers have, and when there is a big class of students, the weight of those expectations can grow dramatically.

"It's hard when you are looked at as a mom, when you're looked at as a nurse, when you have all of these hats and you have 26, 27 kids per class, it can be hard to get to each and everyone of them, but we're doing it," Leinwand said.

She said she doesn't go out much, partially because the job and nature of the work is so intense and she spends a lot of her free time at home decompressing.

"You take everything home with you," she said.

The last few years have been especially tumultuous, she said, as the pandemic and its immediate aftermath created a cloud of stress over everything at the school.

But parent support, one of the most important things for a teacher to have, she said, has remained strong and the school seems to be recovering.

She said the atmosphere is brightening, everyone is happier, teachers and students, and she thinks the gap the pandemic caused is starting to close.

"I think we see the light at the end of the tunnel," Leinwand said.

Despite the difficulties, she said, she still feels welcomed by the community that she adopted more than two decades ago, and plans to keep teaching for a while yet.

"It's been an amazing ride, it's been amazing being a Blue Pony," she said.

When asked if she had an idea who she would select as the next winner, she said she's not sure it will be an easy task, as there are so many just in her building who deserve it.

"If I could give it to the whole school of Lincoln-McKinley, I would," she said.

Her husband has always been an amazing supporter and a wonderful teacher, but she's pretty sure he'd have a fit if she gave it to him, she said jokingly.