Mrs. Loy Moving to Special ED

Mrs. Angela Loy applied for this job because she has always enjoyed working with students at the junior high level. This position made a lot of sense to her because she had been an aide in special education for the last 15 years. She said “I LOVE my job! It is everything I have always wanted. I am able to work with some amazing students and every day is different and I think that is what makes it so exciting.”  

She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education in 4.5 years at the University of Southern Indiana and graduated in 2000. She was then offered a job teaching 5th grade at Corpus Christi Grade School in Evansville, Indiana where she did her student teaching. Mrs. Loy also coached freshman and JV girls’ basketball at Mater Dei High School while she taught at Corpus Christi. She taught there for 5 years before she moved back home to the Stone Church area to help her parents when her youngest brother left for college. \

When she moved back home, she applied for the JV girls’ basketball coaching position that was available.  She was hired to coach basketball and also as an aide at Okawville Grade School. Then, she was moved to the junior high/high school to work as an aide because there was a greater need for her there than at the grade school. She is still to this day a half-time aide here. This will be her 16th year as an aide in the Okawville school district.  Mrs. Loy had this to say, “My new position definitely has more challenges and responsibilities than my aide position.  I am responsible for much more paperwork than I was previously.  I enjoy this position and feel like I am well suited for the responsibilities and challenges that come with it.”  Mrs. Rudy and Mr. Hostert both held this position before she did.  Together, they have been great resources for her endless questions about everything associated with her new job. Then she was given the opportunity this summer to earn an endorsement in special education. She took four classes in 2.5 months this summer to earn that endorsement.  Some of her goals this year include learning everything that she can about her students including how they learn best. She wants to be able to provide them with an appropriate educational experience. 

When she was a student at Okawville, she did not imagine herself ever working here. Mr. Gaebe was her 7th grade Language Arts teacher and now she is currently co-teaching a class with him.  She thinks that is really what makes Okawville a special place to work.  When she was a student and an athlete she played for Coach Lanter and ended up coaching with her for many years.  It is like a family here. The teachers are invested in their students’ lives and look forward to watching them grow and succeed.  It is so reassuring to know that they really care about whether or not you are doing well. She hopes that as a teacher she can do the same for her students. She wants them to know that she really does care about them and the decisions they make in life.