Holly Abers is pictured with her class and her classroom aide, Courtney Bradigan. Submitted photo

SOUTH DAYTON — Holly Abers has been a teacher at Pine Valley Elementary for 23 years and has always liked the idea of kids.

“I liked the idea of kids and having an impact on them,” Abers said. “I always wanted to be a parent and have an impact on my own kids, but I also wanted to impact kids other than my own.”

During her time at Pine Valley, Abers has taught everything in grades kindergarten through sixth, but primarily teaches fifth. Currently, it is her fourth year teaching kindergarten.

Part of Abers favorite part of teaching is interacting with her younger students.

“I love the proverbial ‘aha’ moment that you see in Kindergarten so much when they realize something,” Abers said. “These kids look up to you and I love their innocence and the number of ‘I love you’s I get in a day.”

Abers said she thought people do not always realize how much of an impact teachers can have on their students. She said a lot of the time kids can spend more time with their teachers than parents and they need the support to be there on both sides. Often, kids who might not have the greatest support system at home will find that support at school.

“The people, students, kids, that teachers teach are the future,” Abers said. “Teachers impact every sports professional, senator, welder, everyone and education is important for everyone. As parents you get to have an impact on your own kids but educators impact every kid. Sometimes there is that generational connection as well, when the same teachers who teach the parents also teach the kids.”

Before Pine Valley, Abers worked as a part of the Fredonia State Migrant Tutorial Program. There she worked both as a parent liaison and in the adolescent program, and would help students interact and meet with other students around the county. She also substituted at Pine Valley before taking on her permanent role.

Abers’s goals for the rest of this school year are focused on keeping her students excited about learning.

“Especially at the younger levels if kids learn to love school and learning they will want to be there,” Abers said. “If they decide they don’t want to be there they will shut their doors to school.”

Abers is also focused on keeping learning fun for her students.

Overall, Abers hopes people can recognize the importance of the connection between families at home and educators at school.

“Children prosper when they see a united front between home and school,” Abers said. “We have to remember that they are still kids. They are growing up in the world today and not in the same world that we grew up in. We have to educate them in the time they are living in, not the time we did.”