Staff Spotlight: Shawn Bliss combines dream jobs to keep third-grade students interested.
Shawn Bliss credits her third graders at Heritage for putting a smile on her face every single day. Photo provided by Shawn Bliss.
by Amy Haggerty
Shawn Bliss is a third-grade teacher at Heritage school in Stockbridge who readily admits that the best part of her job is interacting with the kids every single day.
“If you want to put a smile on your face for the day, have a conversation with an eight year old. These kids are curious and love learning. They make me laugh every day. They are my ‘why’!”
Bliss grew up in Michigan Center and attended high school there. She then attended Eastern Michigan University where she received her bachelor’s degree. Later she earned a master’s degree from Marygrove College.
Twenty nine years ago she married her husband, Chris. Together, they have two children—son Rayne who is 22 years old and daughter Isabelle who is 19. The Bliss siblings both graduated from Stockbridge High School.
Bliss began her teaching career in Stockbridge in 1995. When you see her in action, her love for teaching becomes very evident.
“They say if you do something you love, it will never feel like work. That is definitely true. I love my job,” Bliss explains.
Teaching is something she has always wanted to do. “My dad was a teacher and I remember playing school in his classroom at a very young age. I never wanted to be anything else, really.”
But then she thinks about it and also admits she was interested in being a singer/performer and would love to perform at Disney World. In the meantime, though, she has found a way to combine her two dream jobs.
“I figure I can be a singer/performer every day in my classroom. That’s what makes my lessons interesting.”
When she’s not teaching, she loves shopping, traveling, and hanging out with family and friends.
Bliss offers up this advice for future teachers: “Be flexible and stay positive. Enjoy the small moments.”
Fellow third-grade teacher Lisa Bolton appreciates Bliss’ enthusiasm for her students and fellow teachers at Heritage. According to Bolton, “Shawn loves her job and truly enjoys helping kids. She is a joy to work with.”
Her constant smile is just one of the telling signs that Shawn Bliss enjoys what she does. For 26 years, Stockbridge students have been inspired by the passion she evokes and the lasting impression she has made on our young children.
