This month’s Featured Teacher, Ms. Bonnie Riggins, comes from our location near Leon Springs and is a fabulous LEAD 4-year-old teacher.
We have never had such a unique teacher be selected as our month’s Featured Teacher. Ms. Bonnie, a colorful and bubbly woman, was trained in the medical world, but followed her life’s path to become a teacher. After spending her entire life in Detroit, Ms. Bonnie has collected many intriguing stories of success, failure, and hope. Her background has made her who she is today, and in 2011 her career thankfully lead her to Country Home Learning Center.
Ms. Bonnie started her educational path off as being a nursing student. However, the classes she took, and the experiences she gained from school and her early jobs lead her toward a career in education. She has done everything from being a leading administrative figure in a preschool in Detroit, to caring for people with disabilities, to tutoring high school students, and to even being involved in her own three children’s PTA programs.
After moving away from the economic downturn of Detroit in 2009, Ms. Bonnie chose to move to San Antonio because she had an aunt here. Moving to a new city across the country is never easy. However, with Bonnie’s optimism, which she exudes from the moment you meet her, she eventually made a successful move. Bonnie’s spirit keeps her head up and as she says, it is important “to grow from every challenge.” She explains that she was put here “to make a difference,” and it is obvious that she is absolutely doing that in every child’s life that she comes across at Country Home.
Ms. Bonnie extols patients and students from her past experiences, and is grounded by her unwavering and positive outlook on life. From working with people who have a variety of mental and physical disabilities to leading her first class at Country Home full of only 4-year-old boys, she is the definition of strong willed. Ms. Janella, the Director at our Leon Springs’ location explains that no matter what the circumstance, Ms. Bonnie is always “personable to the parents in her class, and outgoing to everyone she meets.” Ms. Bonnie comes to Country Home to do what she loves, and she is an asset to not only our Leon Springs location, but to the Country Home family as a whole!
When Ms. Bonnie found out that she was selected to be this month’s Featured Teacher she broke down into tears. Humbled by the experience, Ms. Bonnie explained that she isn’t “a teacher to be recognized,” she does it because she loves it. She “loves all of the children the same even though every child is different.” Because of her enthusiasm in the classroom for her children, Ms. Bonnie is one of Leon Springs’ most highly requested teachers. All of her co-teachers look up to her, and her children recognize her love for what she does.
Ms. Bonnie believes that her purpose is to be at Country Home, and whenever she is having a difficult day, she always remembers that “there is a child out there that needs [her]!” Even when she is at home spending time with her daughter, she is always thinking of ways to make a difference in the children at Country Home’s lives. Her love and enthusiasm is what makes Ms. Bonnie so special, and Country Home Learning Center is grateful to have a wonderful woman and teacher in one of our classrooms!
