Staff Spotlight: Listening to her students is a standout skill for teacher Hilary Lyman-Bower
Eight-grade teacher Hilary Lyman-Bower loves to open the eyes of her students to new reading and classroom experiences.
by Amy Haggerty
Like mother, like daughter. Eighth-grade teacher Hilary Lyman-Bower’s mom was a teacher. Although she was never in her mother’s class, Lyman-Bower credits her mom as being her favorite teacher when she was growing up.
“Her stories, the way she believed in her students, and her outlook on education,” these skills that she witnessed her mom using were the primary things that inspired Lyman-Bower daily. “They continue to inspire me, today” she adds.
Growing up in the Lansing area, she attended Okemos High School and graduated in 2002. After high school she attended Kalamazoo College, where she earned her bachelor’s degree. Later she completed a master’s program at Marygrove College.
In 2007, she married husband Ross Bower, and they are raising three children: 11-year-old Mya, 9-year-old Anora, and 6-year-old Beckham.
Lyman-Bower has been teaching junior/senior high school students since 2002; she joined Stockbridge Community Schools in 2006.
She enthusiastically shared a few things she considers to be the best part of her job: “Interacting with the students. Finding ways to open their eyes to new readings and classroom experiences. Learning and seeing their successes after working on an assignment or a challenging reading. These are all very rewarding.”
Listening and being patient are two of the most important responsibilities she has as a teacher. And considering she sees over 100 students each day, she says it can be easy just to go through the motions and not stop to listen to what a student is saying.
“But taking a deep breath, not rushing through material, and listening to each student—these all help to build important relationships and allow a student to feel comfortable and valued. When a student is comfortable and feels valued, the learning becomes easier.”
When she’s not working, Lyman-Bower enjoys running and spending time with her family. All three children are involved in athletics, so she spends a lot of time taking them to practice and watching them compete.
Her favorite place in the world is at the beach with her family. She loves sunshine, waves, and sand. Another outdoor activity she enjoys is hiking—whether it is on trails, in the mountains, or at the beach.
Lyman-Bower has a special skill for connecting with students in their teenage years. She also has a natural ability to make her students feel at ease and comfortable in her classroom. As a result of both, she has opened the eyes of many young students and caused them to become avid readers later in life.
