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How an Undergraduate Observation Turned Into a 31-Year Career in the Heartspring Therapeutic School
An educational observation with Heartspring, formerly known as the Institute of Logopedics, changed everything for Lisa Jones. She took us down memory lane with her favorite student stories, changes over the years, and the impact she helped make on children’s and families’ lives ahead of her retirement after 31 years at Heartspring.
When she studied physical education at Wichita State University, she came to Heartspring in the spring semester of her junior year to observe. She started as a substitute teacher a few months later and continued to work at Heartspring while she finished her degree.
She said, “I fell in love with the kids, and it was just a very rewarding place. I thought, ‘This is what I want to do.’”
Lisa’s always been in the Heartspring school and coached the Special Olympics basketball team when they played at the state competition in Hays. She was also a part of the team taking kids to the Special Olympics snow skiing in Missouri and bowling in northeast Kansas.
As for her favorite part of her job, Lisa said helping with student transitions was the most rewarding. By connecting with families and hearing their stories, she could see the growth of every child since they started at Heartspring. When students transition into their adult placement, Heartspring staff catch new care teams up to speed and help make the change easier for our students.
Every day is different, but she looks forward to greeting the students each morning and having a team to work with. “You’re never on your own,” she says. “You always have support, and that’s a big deal here. The staff is amazing.”
She also dropped some well-earned wisdom for new hires at Heartspring. “I was nervous when I started, but our students pick up on that. Be calm as much as you can and be yourself,” Lisa said. “You’ve got to have fun. That is the key word for me at Heartspring because it’s a stressful job. I mean we have fun in our room and with our students. You’ve got to.”
When Lisa started, there weren’t lead paras in the classrooms. Lisa was the very first Heartspring lead para, even if her title changed over the years. She said, “There's been a tremendous amount of change.” Along with their other responsibilities, lead paras in Heartspring classrooms have substitute licenses so they can manage the classroom if the teacher isn’t there. She said, “The best training for anybody coming in is to get in the classroom, hands-on, and see it for yourself.”
After 31 years, Lisa retired from Heartspring and is excited to travel with friends and family. We admire her dedication to our students over the years, and she will be greatly missed as a friendly face in our classrooms. Congratulations on your retirement, Lisa!
