Now Hiring Michiana: Teaching tomorrow's leaders at School City of Mishawaka

Now Hiring Michiana: Teaching tomorrow’s leaders at School City of Mishawaka
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MISHAWAKA, Ind.,--In this week’s installment of Now Hiring Michiana, we are heading back to school. As more students transition from e-learning and back to the classroom--understaffing can strain some of our most valuable resources, our teachers. I went to the School City of Mishawaka for a closer look at what it’s like to work there.  

When you think of school positions, you may think of teachers and while they’re an important role in students’ success, support staff roles are just as influential.  

Andrew Giden is a night shift custodial worker and a fifth and sixth grade basketball coach at Twin Branch Elementary School. 

“I kind of feel like I’m actually embracing the role as a teacher, and sometimes I have to actually teach the fundamentals of basketball,” said Giden. “When I see the kids learning about basketball, I feel the same way as a teacher does when they experience the children learning and doing well in the classroom.”  

Giden says after seven years with SCM, his co-workers feel like family. 

“It’s been very gratifying. I just love the family atmosphere. It starts at the top with our principal. She makes everything comfortable for all the staff and the students,” said Giden. “I feel like all the teachers are like sisters to me. Some of the staff here, we’ve had great relationships. They’ve been there for me.”  

And it’s not just the work family that keeps a smile on Giden's face, working at SCM has many benefits--especially for parents says director of human resources and school safety of SCM, Kory Labonne. 

“I think that there are a lot of incentives or benefits to serving for a school corporation…having weekends off, having holidays off with your kids, having summer and winter breaks off,” said Labonne. 

Giden has two kids of his own at Twin Branch. He says it’s a blast sharing his workplace with his children. 

“They keep daddy on his toes, and they love the feeling knowing while they’re in school that daddy’s here with them and looking out for them. I think that gives them a lot of comfort knowing that I’m here. It feels good for me too just knowing that my job is also tied to my children and that’s the best feeling in the world,” said Giden.  

The School City of Mishawaka is hiring for a number of positions to help shape the young minds for tomorrow. The newest position? A kindergarten aide!  

The kindergarten and instructional aide positions are new to SCM and provide educational and behavioral support for individual and small groups of students to supply quality education for students and ease strain on staff.   

“When we have situations in which positions aren’t filled, really what it does is force our existing staff who are already committed, already putting in 110 percent, it stretches them even thinner,” said Labonne.

I took on the role at Beiger to share what it’s like to serve SCM’s youngest learners.   You can apply to be a kindergarten aide, a custodian and more on SCM’s website.   

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